


The Crest Carver

by Ruunkur



Series: Under The Changing Skies [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: A child gets murdered, Alternate Universe, Angst, Choose Your Own Ending, Drinking, I know exactly zero things about detectives and the like outside of TV shows, Modern AU with Magic, Multi, Murder Mystery, descriptions of dead bodies, no beta we die like Glenn, tags to be updated, tags to be updated as I go along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:35:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 26
Words: 87,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23861680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Detective for the Fodlan Police Department, has been working on a number of strange murders. Bodies turn up with symbols, meanings lost to Fodlan's dark and murky history, carved into their skin.With his partner, Claude von Riegan, they thought they made a break in the case. With the murderer safely behind bars, they relax in their three months of peace. Only to have more bodies and more headaches turn up.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Ingrid Brandl Galatea - Minor, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra - Minor
Series: Under The Changing Skies [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800394
Comments: 40
Kudos: 71





	1. Letters

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is something a bit different from me. The idea was that Felix was a detective and finds Sylvain caught up in gang activity after not seeing him for years.
> 
> I got this instead.
> 
> First chapter is a bit.
> 
> Look, the set up is weird, but I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Also, chapters will be longer after the first. Two? Three? These were sort of set up chapters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised

"Is Sylvain home?"

Felix crossed his arms over his chest, the eleven year old looking up at Sylvain's older brother. He never quite liked Miklan, never trusted him. The teenager shifted, shaking his head.

"Nope, he went out."

"Fine." Felix turned, shoving his hands in his pocket. He felt the edge of a note brush his fingers and he stopped. "Could you at least... give him this?" He tugged the envelope out of his pocket, holding it out to Miklan.

The teenager just raised an eyebrow but shrugged, taking it. "Sure."

Felix walked away without another word, Miklan glancing at the envelope and shutting the door. He gave the house one last glance before it was out of view, annoyed at Sylvain for being gone when Felix needed him to be home.

It had been like that since-

Felix shoved the thought away, unwilling to entertain the idea as he headed home, gaze locked on his feet.

~*~*~*~*~

The man brushed sweat out of his eyes, tilting his head as he studied the area around him. Three dead bodies, with the summer sun creeping up behind them, would make for a long day. The heatwave continued and he grunted, tugging his hair into a sloppy ponytail.

"Already done?"

He accepted the water bottle that was handed to him, unscrewing the lid. "Maybe with the heat."

"Ditch the jacket," the water bringer suggested, reaching a hand up to shade his eyes. "Think it's the same MO as the others?"

The man glanced down at the killings, letting out a sigh. "Definitely the Underground. Fuck, I thought we nabbed the killer. This should be settled."

"If it's part of the Underground, it would make sense that there are multiple killers."

He shot a glare at his partner, the man letting out a laugh, though there was no humor behind it.

"We caught one guy. There's no saying how many people they have doing this. We'll know if the bodies were killed at the same time, or if they were killed and carved one by one and then then dumped once we get the reports back. They're going to send a guy down soon to collect the bodies."

"Right and my mother's the moon."

"Ah, come on, Felix, there's no reason to be in that sort of mood today. The day is young and we have a mystery on our hands."

Felix Fraldarius, investigator of the Fodlan Police Department. Currently age twenty eight. While he mainly worked as an investigator on murder cases, Felix also prided himself on being the department's weapon expert on all things blade related.

That knowledge had been the reason he had been assigned to the case originally.

"Do we have the history expert still on call?" Felix asked, leaning over the body and snapping a photo of the object carved into the flesh.

Claude von Riegan, Felix's current partner, blinked up at him. "Which one, Hanneman or Linhardt?"

"The one that doesn't fall asleep the moment you start talking."

"They both work together, you know. Linhardt really did know his stuff when he told us what the crests meant. But, yes, I can get a hold of either of them. Why?"

Felix gestured towards the body in front of him. "More of the Underground Ritual killings. None of these symbols look like the others."

"Crests."

Felix looked at Claude blankly, the man letting out a sigh.

"Are you sure you weren't the one falling asleep when Linhardt started talking? They're specifically crests." Claude pointed at the body Felix had been staring at, his mouth set into a grimace. "That... looks like the Gautier crest. Linhardt had that one sketched out along with the others. I remember it because you kept making a funny noise every time he mentioned it." Claude explained in response to Felix's look of confusion.

"Did he say how many crests existed?"

"Twenty two that we know of."

"And he left us a list of... crest designs already used? Or a list of the symbols at all?"

Felix looked at the three bodies, the stench finally forcing him to back up. They had been sitting, these nameless bodies, for a while. He looked at the crest carved into the chest of the young man. With a frown, he stepped closer, looking at the red hair in thought. He stopped after a moment, noting the roots of the hair were indeed red, even as the rest of the hair was a dark brown.

"He left us with a full deck of the crests. Something come to you?"

Felix glanced at Claude. "We had eight murders before they stopped for... what, three months? And each symbol was different, appearing with regularity once a month. Now, we have three more, all at once. Obviously, with how they reacted last time, this is the work of the Underground, but what are they after?"

"We thought we had nabbed the guy who had killed them... which would cause there to be a break. Even more so if they wanted us to think they were done."

Felix looked up, meeting Claude's gaze. "But the real killer is still out there, performing this ritual."

"Fuck."

Felix let out a huff, glancing at the bodies. "The crests, they were once thought of as coats of arms for families, right?"

"Yeah...? Fraldarius had one, so did Riegan."

"I knew a kid named Sylvain Gautier when I was growing up." Felix stared at the body, glancing at the other two. He didn't recognize the crests on them, but he would find out by the end of the day. He lifted his hands over his head, stretching and sighing.

“So, do you think this body is his?” Claude asked.

Felix shifted his weight. “No, I don’t think so.”

"This is going to be a long case, isn't it?" Claude asked, running a hand through his hair. As the two pulled back, Felix having taken pictures of the crests to look at the moment he got back to the office, others came forward, bagging the bodies and getting them ready for transport.

"Don't even start thinking about it. You'll get exhausted before we even begin." Felix watched the men a moment longer.

"So, this childhood friend of yours... you've never mentioned them before. What was he like?" Claude commented as they walked back to their car.

"You never mention having a childhood," Felix shot back, claiming the passenger seat. "Actually, I had three close childhood friends. You've met one of them recently, Ingrid."

"Iron Arm Ingrid, the new transfer?" Claude glanced at him, sliding into the driver's seat. "Man, she yelled at me the other day for leaving a book in the breakroom. I'm not even sure how she knew it was mine."

Felix snorted. "That's definitely her. I haven't crossed paths with her yet, was kind of hoping I wouldn't. I haven't spoken with her since my father and I moved." Felix's gaze when hard, his mouth set in a line. "We need to see which crests these are, then figure out what's going on."

"I know no one liked the idea last time, but what we really need is someone in the Underground." Claude glanced at Felix, his gaze softening. "That is such an ugly look for your face."

"Whoever gets sent down there will just turn up dead."

That had been the first suggestion, when the bodies didn't stop turning up. Then the next person that turned up dead and carved was the person they had sent under.

"We would need to send someone with weapon training."

"I don't want to be responsible for sending another person to their death." Felix gritted his teeth, looking up at Claude.

"I was thinking of sending myself down there." Claude stopped at the light, grimacing. "Our contact-"

"Is one person that is probably not a high ranking member. If you trust his word over your own common sense-" Felix began.

Claude held up his hands, letting out a sigh. "The news outlets are going to be slandering us for weeks, once they find out about these murders and they will," he muttered, "maybe we could use a new set of eyes on this case."

"You are definitely not going there. You won't come back."

Claude raised an eyebrow. "And if the chief agrees?"

"She'd be stupid to agree."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Felix shifted, glancing out the window. "I don't know. Let's just get back to the office and get to work. I want to know what crests have been used."

Claude let out a sigh but nodded, driving once the light was green. "You got this way last time, too. Did you have a bad run with the Underground at some point?"

Felix looked out the window, grimacing. "You could say that."


	2. Arguments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised

"You weren't there!"

The words exploded out of him in anger and Felix stomped his foot, staring Sylvain down. His friend, older and taller than him, just met Felix's gaze.

"No, none of us were there, Fe. You don't know either."

Ingrid watched the two boys, her hands balled at her sides as the words bounced back and forth. The eleven year old sniffled, lifting one hand to rub at her eyes.

"Come on, can't you two argue later?" Ingrid whispered, stepping closer to them. They were supposed to be in the main room, but Sylvain and Ingrid had followed Felix when he stormed out of the funeral.

"That's not him!" Felix snarled, his chest heaving. "He wouldn't- he promised-"

Sylvain looked at Ingrid, throwing his hands up in the air. "Get over it, Felix. They're dead! You throwing this fit, it doesn't help anyone!"

"Guys!" Ingrid yelped, moving to tug on Felix's arm.

"Glenn's not dead!" Felix snarled, shoving at Sylvain. The teenager blinked, stumbling back at the sudden movement, Ingrid pulling her hand away in time to avoid getting smacked herself.

Sylvain's face twisted in anger and he shoved Felix back, sending the younger boy tumbling to the ground. "He's dead, Felix. That's his fucking body in there!" Sylvain pointed at the closed doors, his voice rising above the pitched whisper they had been arguing in.

"Felix, your father-" Ingrid tried, the door being pushed open and shut as someone came out to break up the quarreling children.

Rodrigue looked haggard, dark circles under his eyes. He knelt down next to Felix, glancing at Sylvain. "I know it's hard on all three of you..." he began.

"Glenn's not dead and I don't want to move!" Felix snarled, pushing at his father's hand away as he picked himself up. "He's going to come back and if we move, he won't know where to find us!"

Sylvain stiffened, glancing at Rodrigue and Ingrid before he slipped out of the entryway, heading outside. Ingrid glanced at him before looking at Rodrigue, the man shaking his head. She slipped back inside, leaving Rodrigue and Felix alone.

"I know this is hard for you-" Rodrigue began, hands hovering over Felix's shoulder and arm. "But, please, Felix, can we get through one more hour?"

"I wanna go home," Felix whimpered, falling into his father's arms. "I don't- I don't want-"

He choked on his words, Rodrigue holding Felix close and rubbing his back, eyes clouded. "It's going to hurt, and that's okay."

~*~*~*~*~

"Felix?"

Felix glanced at Claude, rubbing at his eyes. He shook himself, glancing back at Claude. "Did I miss something important?"

"No, but we're back at the office. Didn't think you'd want to sleep in the car once the heat really hits. Though, I'm sure others wouldn't find it out of place for our resident cat."

Felix opened the door, giving Claude a glare as he was smirked at. "It was you who started the cat bullshit, wasn't it?"

Claude just grinned, getting out as well. "Guilty as charged, officer. Are you going to handcuff me?" He winked at Felix, the man grunting in response.

"It'd go straight to your dick and you'd be difficult to work with the rest of the day." Felix slammed the door shut, Claude wincing.

"If I hit a sore spot with the Underground thing..."

Felix shook his head. "Just thinking. If each Crest is related to a family, what if the person doing these killings are looking for descendents?"

Claude frowned, following Felix into the blessedly cool office. They nodded at the receptionist, retreating to their little hole in the wall office.

"But, wouldn't they just... go after people who share the last names with the Crests?"

"Yeah, that's all I got on that theory. Not solid at all." Felix ran his hands through his hair, dislodging his ponytail with a grunt. "Besides, if that were the case, you and I would be targeted."

Claude looked through the papers, picking out a packet of laminated cards. "Yeah, so we can at least hope it's not that. Our names were all over the news when we thought the case had broken."

"Is that a... deck of cards?" Felix glanced over at Claude, the man holding it up.

"It's what Linhardt left me before he went back to his home, or whatever." Claude broke the seal, unwrapping the cards. "We got that lead right after, so I never had a chance to look at them."

He looked at the black back of the card, flipping over the first one. The Crest was done in gold, shimmering against the black background with the name written right below. He set it on the table, shivering.

Crest Riegan was laid out, Claude letting out a whistle.

"Spooky."

Felix rolled his eyes, clearing off space as Claude laid out the rest of the cards, the black, gold, and white design causing Felix to squint.

"What sort of deck is this?"

Claude glanced up, meeting Felix's gaze. "He rattled something off about a story telling deck. Hanneman also said that the crests were used as a divination system sometime after the fall of the Church in the late eleventh or twelfth century. So, each card has a different story that is supposed to be told, but I don't remember what I did with the book. This, at least, will let us be able to discern what symbols are what."

"If you could find that book, maybe we could use it as a reference or something," Felix grumbled, looking around the office. The Crest Murders took up most of the space, having been the main case the pair had worked on for eight months. Even with the breakthrough, they hadn't really cleaned out their offices and weren't assigned any particular case at the moment.

They just helped out where they were needed.

The entire department had been grateful for a slow spring.

"Yeah, well. At least all of our notes are still out and we don't have to go unbury them." Claude picked up a card, frowning as he studied it. "These look weird."

Felix walked over to him, pulling out his phone and studying the crime scene pictures he had taken. "The first crest is Gautier, on the man with the dyed hair."

"How could you tell it was dyed?" Claude asked.

"The roots were red. It looks like the hair was dyed brown at some point." Felix zoomed in on the picture of the man's face, showing Claude the roots. He flipped to the next picture, looking at the curving lines.

"Aubin."

Claude plucked the card from their shared desk, handing it to Felix as he studied the picture. Felix set the phone between them, holding up the card and studying the marks. "What are they trying to do?"

Claude shook his head, flicking forward to the third body. He looked at the lines, his stomach turning. "These were definitely done pre-death, there's some old scarring but..." He zoomed in on the picture, finding one particular spot that caught his eye. "But they were reopened after they died."

Felix let out a grunt. "Nothing new there, then."

They looked at the third picture, Felix glancing among the cards and finding the symbol that looked like a circle exploding. "Chevalier."

"Well, that brings a warm feeling in my gut." Claude grimaced, looking down at the cards. "If they weren't caught in the first place, why wouldn't they keep dumping bodies? Why did they stop?"

Felix let out a hum, a knock on the door bringing them out of their conversation. The receptionist stood there, her eyes clouded. "There's a person in the lobby asking for you, Felix."

Felix frowned at him. "Did they leave a name?"

The man shook his head. "Just said they needed to talk to Investigator Fraldarius. Wouldn't say more than that."

Felix stood up, glancing back at Claude. "Pick out which ones have already been seen. We'll cross reference... something, I'm sure."

Claude nodded, Felix turning and heading into the lobby. He stopped at the threshold, an eleven year old child staring at the photos on the wall. He turned, a smile crossing his face.

The last time Felix had seen him, blood had dripped from a crack in his skull and he looked at the world with dead, dead eyes and-

"Mother says it's time to come home, Glenn."

Felix lunged forward, the child vanishing into mist as the receptionist returned. Felix collected himself, gaze swinging across the lobby. "It looks like whoever was looking for me thought better of it and left."

The receptionist frowned, glancing across the lobby and scratched the side of his head. "That's strange, he was just here..."

Felix shook his head. "If he shows back up, just page me, instead of walking to grab me."

The receptionist hesitated but nodded, sitting back down. Felix retreated to the office, shutting the door and turning to the desk cabinet. He opened it, fishing out two shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

"What are you doing?" Claude asked.

Felix looked up at him, grimacing. "Having a shot. Want one?"

"It's like, barely ten in the morning, Felix."

"So?"

Claude opened and closed his mouth, shrugging and gesturing for Felix to pour him a shot. Felix handed the glass over to him, returning the whiskey to its spot and picking up his own shot-glass.

"I think this case just got a lot more complicated." Felix knocked the drink back, swallowing it down in one easy movement. Claude did the same, setting the cup on the table.

"Why?"

"The way I see it, we may have twenty two dead bodies before this is over." Felix gestured to the cards. "Each body has a unique death. The only thing tying them together is-"

"The crest carvings."

Felix nodded, looking down at the table. "Maybe we could get Linhardt back here, see if he knows anything else about the crests."

Claude sat back in his chair, rubbing at his temples. "Damn, I was hoping it was over."

"Well, whatever. We'll work it out." Felix sat in his chair across from Claude, pulling out the old reports. "Let's get started."


	3. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised

"What do you mean, they found Glenn?"

Felix looked up at his father, eyes blank. Just two months after-

His mind shut the sentence down before he could finish it, and he was frowning at his father.

Rodrigue let out a sigh, dark circles under his eyes. His job had gotten harder, with the uptick in disappearances. "They... found him. I'm-" Rodrigue took a breath, collecting himself and sat down next to Felix on the sofa.

"He's not... he has to come back," Felix muttered, "and if they found him, they would have-" The realization was not slow at all, Felix whipping around to stare at his father. "No! No, they didn't find him!"

"Felix-" Rodrigue reached out, the boy jerking away from his father and shaking his head. Tears welled in his eyes.

"He's still out there!" Felix snapped, hands curled into fists. He was heaving now, struggling to breathe. The last three months had been unpleasant. With the murders and then the disappearances-

"Felix, please."

Rodrigue's voice broke through the shimmering rise of panic that had taken over Felix. A hand had found its way to Felix's back, rubbing soothing circles through his shirt.

Felix wanted to pull away, but he stayed still, blinking tears away. "Glenn's not... they're mistaken. It can't be him."

"We'll know for sure later today. Do you want to go to the Galatea’s or the Gautier's house until I get back?" Rodrigue asked, his voice rough.

Felix blinked up at his father, anger bubbling through him. "You're giving up!" he snarled, bristling. "Glenn's not-"

"You are also... welcome to join me."

Felix hesitated as the offer was placed on the table, rubbing at his eyes. He met his father's gaze, clenching his jaw stubbornly.

"I'll go with you."

Rodrigue nodded, getting his keys from the rack. "Let's go, then."

Felix followed, getting into his father's car. He had been to the police station several times, when he went with Lambert to drop something off for Rodrigue, or when Rodrigue surprised his partner at work for his birthday.

Now, it felt different as they pulled up to the building, Rodrigue taking Felix's hand and leading him to the back hallway. He only paused to speak briefly to the officers on duty, Felix glancing up at his dad before looking down the hallway.

They arrived at the autopsy room, Rodrigue taking a breath before he glanced at Felix. “If this is too much for you, let me know.”

Felix scrunched his face up in anger, glancing at his dad. “I can handle it.” It wouldn’t be Glenn on the table, he was sure of it. He would have known, deep inside of him, that Glenn was dead, it was his brother after all.

Felix looked at the body on the table, his stomach flipping as he looked at his brother. He froze as his father stepped closer, looking at the hair.

It wasn't him, Felix was sure of it and yet-

Rodrigue had pressed a hand to his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he stared at his son's body.

~*~*~*~*~

"Why did you decide ten am was a good time to drink, Riegan? You're supposed to be on the clock!"

Felix grunted as the voice penetrated his skull, pulling his head from the desk. He pulled a piece of paper off his forehead, looking at the Blaiddyd crest sketched out on it. He placed it back with the others, looking at the cards in front of him.

Claude had intercepted the knock at the door, thinking it had been the reports from the coroner only to get-

"I'm not going anywhere other than back to my desk, Galatea. As of now, my partner and I are back on a case. We needed a bit of a shove this morning-"

"Is your partner as reckless as you?" Ingrid snapped and Felix planted his face back into the table. After reorganizing all their previous notes, surprisingly little for how cluttered the office really was, he had dragged the whiskey out again.

It had been a bad choice.

"I hope not. In fact, he was the one that told me to stop drinking."

Felix frowned and picked his head back up. It had been the other way, but if Claude was covering for him-

"Good, at least one of our detectives has sense around here."

"Uh, we're in the middle of cleaning and-"

The door opened, Felix scooting his chair forward but he was still-

"Fuck."

Felix held the side of his face, deciding Claude would get the side of the desk with the door next week.

"-there's someone sitting behind the door..."

Felix shifted, moving to the side of the desk and shoving the chair back in before he yanked the door all the way open. "Knock before you just open doors, damn it."

Ingrid blinked at him, opening her mouth. She shut it, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you sitting behind the door?"

Felix gestured at the office, cocking an eyebrow. "Where else do you expect me to sit? It's about as big as a damn shoebox. Riegan, you get this side now." Felix moved around to where Claude had been sitting, dropping into his chair.

He wasn’t even sure when Claude had left the room.

"It was long overdue anyway," Claude said with a sigh.

"Can we help you?" Felix asked, adjusting the collar of his shirt. He had gotten out of his jacket the first chance he had gotten, the air conditioning a blessing even more so in the small room.

"Felix."

"Ingrid."

"Claude?" Clause asked, glancing between the two. "Now that we know everyone's names-"

"What the hell, Felix?" Ingrid snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "Seventeen years and not so much as one phone call?"

Felix rolled his eyes, eyeing the empty bottle of whiskey. To be fair, it had only been about a quarter full when he had retrieved it. "Communication works both ways. I heard you transferred to the department last week. I was hoping it was not true."

Ingrid opened her mouth, shutting it and narrowing her eyes. She adjusted herself, letting out a sigh. "Right, I was bringing the autopsy reports for the bodies from this morning." She set them on the desk, looking at the red mark on Felix's face. "Sorry about..." She gestured to his face with the papers, at least offering him a small, apologetic look.

Felix waved his hand. "We switch sides when one of us gets hit by the door. Feel free to whack Riegan with it when he's being particularly annoying."

"Me, annoying? I have never been accused of anything less true in my life!" Claude spoke with a grin, Felix rolling his eyes.

"Felix-"

"The reports?" Felix asked, Claude clearing his throat. He glanced between the two, letting out a sigh.

"Is working together going to be a problem for you two?" he asked.

"Yes."

"No."

Ingrid and Felix shared a glance, Felix letting out a sigh.

"I mean, no, it shouldn't be a problem," Ingrid clarified, "why?"

Claude grinned, placing a hand on Ingrid's shoulder. "You're now our third wheel, welcome aboard, Ingrid."

"Third-"

"What?"

Felix and Ingrid shared another glance, Ingrid looking at the office. "I don't think a third person will fit in here."

"Great, that’s what I thought, too. You're moving offices." The captain stood behind Claude and Ingrid, both of them shuffling inside the room to allow Catherine to take up the door space.

"Great." Felix looked at their current mess, glancing at Catherine. "And Ingrid-"

"Officer Galatea has more information on the Underground that we can use. You're to work closely with her. She transferred from another division that specialized in the Underground to help out previously, but the paperwork took too long. Now that the case is open again, you'll be working closely with her." Catherine placed a hand on Claude's shoulder, tilting her head. "There won't be a problem, will there?"

"No, ma'am." Felix cleared his throat, moving to stand and gather the papers they were focusing on. He glanced at the cards, catching sight of the crest marked with the Blaiddyd surname.

Catherine spoke a moment longer to Claude, Felix pocketing the card and setting about to pack up. Claude stepped out of the room, following Catherine and he was left alone with Ingrid.

"Is it really going to be an issue, working with me?" Felix asked, looking up at her.

Ingrid hesitated, brushing stray hair out of her face. Gone was the long braid she had worn as a child. Now, her hair was short and practical, the bangs only starting to get in her eyes.

"No. Just a forewarning, you're going to have to catch me up on the case and the details. And who you originally caught and pinned the murders on."

Felix nodded. "We can do that."

She settled down to help him pack, Claude returning with their new destination and a smirk on his face.

"You're going to love this. There's room enough for three whole desks in the next room."

Felix rolled his eyes, Claude grabbing a box and leading the way.


	4. Break-ins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last of the duel memory chapters! Then we get into the good bits.
> 
> Content warning: Depictions of a murder scene through the eyes of an eleven year old child.
> 
> Revised.

"Dima!"

Felix pounded on the door, frustrated when his friend hadn't answered. He pulled away, glancing at the vehicle in the driveway.

Lambert's car was there, implying that his friend should be home, but-

Felix let out a huff, kicking at the door. He dropped to his knees and tipped the planter next to the porch, eyes sparking as he pulled the key that Lambert had told Felix he was welcome to use. A moment's guilt ran through him as he pulled it out of the spot, looking it over.

It was indeed the key Lambert had placed there for Felix and Rodrigue, should they need something from their neighbors. The neighborhood was friendly, a place where children could be raised. There were no issues with vandals or break-ins.

He stood back up and fit the key into the lock, turning the handle once he was certain it was unlocked. He placed the key in his pocket, pushing open the door with a frown. "Dima?"

They had plans to meet up and play together. Felix had even convinced Sylvain to come, who was getting harder and harder to convince to go anywhere lately. He didn’t understand why Sylvain was content to hole himself up all the time, but he wouldn’t let it get in his way.

Not when the summer was only halfway over.

"Uncle Lambert?"

He stepped into the house, shivering in the cold and he stopped as something struck him as odd. The smell was funny. He turned to look up the stairs, where the smell was coming from and he walked up, covering his hand over his nose.

"Dima, haven't you cleaned recently?" Felix complained, standing at the top of the stairwell. He glanced from side to side, grimacing. He stepped towards Dima's bedroom, stopping when something creaked behind him.

He glanced the other way, heart beating faster as the door swung open. "Uncle?"

He stepped closer, almost stopping when the smell hit him in full strength. He gagged, using the sleeve of his sweater to breathe through. He stepped forward again, pushing the door open and stared.

He screamed, stumbling backwards as the head rolled to his feet, blank eyes staring up at him. When he looked up, a headless body was sitting on the bed, a blanket draped across its back like a cape, with a child sitting in front of him. Blond hair was caked with blood, hands poised at the child's shoulders, as if he had been about to brush-

Felix ran out of the house, screaming, forgetting to shut the door. Rodrigue met him, concern plain on his face with Ingrid and Sylvain trailing behind.

"Uncle Lambert's head isn't attached!"

Rodrigue looked at Felix, opening his mouth before he ushered Felix towards his friends. Felix belatedly handed him the Blaiddyd's house key, the trio trailing behind Rodrigue. They waited outside, none of them moving as sirens sounded in the distance.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix dropped the binder on the table, letting out a grunt as he brushed dust off of it. He paused, glancing at the door before he picked up his phone and scrolled through the contact list, pressing his father's name.

"Felix, what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"Do you still have the files for the Blaiddyd murder case?"

He had that damnable nightmare, but something. Something had stuck out and-

"What do you want those for?" His father's mood shifted, Felix glancing at the picture album as he opened it, flipping to the page he was looking for.

A picture of himself, Glenn, Sylvain, Ingrid, and Dimitri, taken approximately three weeks before the Blaidddyd murder and Glenn's disappearance.

Suicide.

Murder.

Whatever.

The alive Dimitri was smiling, his hair mused from the play sword fights they had been engaged in.

"We didn't catch the Crest Carver, apparently." Felix looked up, glancing around his apartment. The table in the small nook was cluttered, his notes the only thing that was organized.

"And this has to do with the Blaiddyds... how?"

Felix rolled his eyes. "I..." He sat down at the table, pulling the black card out of his pocket. "When I found the bodies, there was... something carved on Lambert's chest, wasn't there?"

The silence was telling enough.

"It was a symbol, wasn't it? It scared you enough that you moved us out of town with the first transfer you could get. You were trying to transfer before Glenn's disappearance."

He hadn't understood back then, but now...

"I just want to be certain if it's related or not. If it is related..." The killer had been active for far longer than Felix was comfortable admitting to.

Rodrigue sighed. "You aren't going to become obsessed with this, will you?"

"It's literally my job to figure out who is killing these people. I don't think obsessed falls into that category, dad."

"Felix, you know what I mean."

The man let out a sigh. "No, I will not become obsessed with the Blaiddyd case. I just want to know if they're linked. If they are, I'll look further into it. If there is no connection. I will leave it alone."

"I'll drop off the documents tomorrow evening."

"Do you want to have dinner as well? Maybe on Friday?" Felix offered, though the words felt false as they left his lips. His father and the Blaiddyd murder had been his main driving force to become a detective anyway, wanting to give people the closure he so desperately wanted when he was younger.

"I would love to. I'll be there around six."

"Sounds good, see you then." Felix hung up the phone, turning back to his table. Placing the phone on the table, he flipped through the photo album. Smiling faces stared back up at him as he flipped through pages, his stomach turning.

It had been years since he looked at the book, the last time having been sometime between high school ending and his training beginning. There were few pictures after they moved, the album having always been Felix's project. Even Rodrigue hadn't pressed when Felix told him he didn't want to add to it. In the back, tucked away, was a letter.

Felix frowned, picking up the letter and turning it over. It was a copy of the one he had given Sylvain, apologizing to his friend for their fight. The one he wasn't sure Sylvain ever got to read.

He picked up his phone instead, scrolling through the contacts. He landed on Ingrid's, furrowing his eyebrows before he clicked the call option, sitting down in a chair and holding it up to his ear.

"This is Ingrid Galatea."

"Hey, Ingrid." Felix shifted his gaze to his fridge, his other hand stilling on the photo album.

"Ah-"

"It's Felix, Claude gave me your number before we left work yesterday."

"Hey, Felix, this is... an unexpected surprise."

Felix let out a huff. "I do call people, you know. My dad said the same thing. Just about. Anyway, I had a question."

There was movement on her end, with a door sliding shut. "What sort of question?"

Felix forced his hand to still on the album cover and he straightened in his chair. "Do you still hear from Sylvain?"

There was silence, Felix wincing as Ingrid let out a sigh.

"Felix, you know he ran away from home when he was sixteen, right?"

"No. I... didn't." Felix shifted in his chair, his mouth pulling into a frown.

Ingrid sighed. "My parents told Rodrigue, I thought he had... I thought you were angry at me that I let Sylvain go or something and that's why you wouldn't talk to me."

"Right before I left, I tried to talk to him, but Miklan said he was out. After that, well, I didn't hear from either of you so I thought both of you were mad at me."

Ingrid shifted, a door opening on her end. "I didn't... I'm sorry, Felix. I was mad because your dad was taking you away and everything with Dimitri and Glenn happened… but it was never at you."

"I think their murders are connected to the Crest Carver."

"Felix."

"No, listen." Felix narrowed his eyes, grimacing. "Ugh, look. I'm getting some case files from dad, but just. I couldn't make it out clearly, but there was _something_ carved on Lambert's body. On his chest. The- Dimitri was... well, sitting in front of it, so I couldn't make it out _clearly_ but, if these killings go back further than just last year..."

"We would have heard about it before now."

Felix shook his head. "Not unless the killer was looking for something, found it and went underground to hide their trail. And then needed more after all this time and started killing again."

"That's a seventeen year gap, Felix."

"I'm not saying that they are connected, I just think they are, okay? Lambert was in a position to clean out the Underground. If this is related to the underground, if these are connected-"

"You're making assumptions."

Felix deflated, his shoulders dropping. "It was accredited to the Underground, at the very least. I think it's connected. But, I didn't call about work, I..."

"It's nice to hear from you, Felix. I guess it'll be easier to keep in touch now that we're working together."

Felix nodded, glancing out of the window. "It's nice to see you, Ingrid."

"Same, Felix."

Their conversation drifted from work to other topics, the pair catching up before Felix let himself off the hook. He headed to his bedroom, preparing for the night ahead.


	5. Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, right now, the plan is to update once a week. Not sure what day that's going to be. I think, once I get more bulk of the story done, I'll bump it to twice a week, depending on how close to the end of the fic this is going to be.
> 
> There are some pairings that I am tossing around to be like end game ships. So, that does come into the fic.
> 
> Let me know what you think!
> 
> This is my first time writing a murder mystery style fic? So, I hope I can do it justice!
> 
> Revised

The rest of the week was uneventful, Ingrid integrating into their small team with surprising ease. They caught her up on what they knew (very little); about capturing the Underground they thought were associated with the bodies; and she told them a bit of what her job was prior.

"I specialize in dealing with people from the Underground." Ingrid glanced over her shoulder as she settled in her chair a bit more. "I was going to transfer back at the end of the month, since they sent me here for helping you but it had seemed to have wrapped up. Now, it looks like I'll be staying around for longer than anticipated."

"Have you gone to the Underground before?" Claude asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Ingrid raised an eyebrow. "I've been around a few times. It's not the place they want to send anyone, most of the time. But, we make what sacrifices we have to."

"Why would they pull you out of your position to come help us?"

Ingrid waved a hand at Felix's question, her frown deepening. "When you put it to Catherine that you thought it was the Underground, it was one of my men that went down to check it out. He was found dead three days later. I wanted to transfer over as soon as I heard that you were even thinking about sending someone down. I didn’t know many details, but I asked and was denied. Higher ups thought it was some of the fringe members doing the killing-"

"But the fringe members don't kill, not ritually. Not like that." Felix gestured vaguely in the direction of their cork board, the photos of the dead pinned there with their corresponding cards next to them. The rest of the deck was scattered between them, Felix fiddling with the card in front of him.

He was aware of the Blaiddyd card, sitting on his table at home, but neither of his partners had noticed it missing.

"Some fringe do, if they know enough about the Underground without actually getting into it. But, if it was a fringe member, they would have silenced them the first time a body turned up. They don't want anyone knowing what they do there." Ingrid shifted, running a hand through her hair.

"How long have you been working on cracking the Underground?" Claude asked, tilting his head to study her.

Ingrid shifted. "Seven, almost eight years now. Started with my task force when I was nineteen. I was a... good person to send under and, eventually, I joined up with the force. Now I'm here."

Felix raised an eyebrow, tilting his head.

Ingrid met his gaze, Felix feeling himself slump. "You could have gotten hurt."

"I was... trying to see if I could find Sylvain, at first." Ingrid admitted.

Felix shifted, glancing away. "You really went through all of that trouble to try and find him?"

"Something never felt right about the way he left, okay? I thought... I was hoping that maybe Miklan had gotten him into some kind of trouble. He had gotten pretty heavily into drugs before the Gautier family disowned him. But I never did confirm if he was down there or not." She flicked her gaze towards the door, unwilling to meet Felix’s gaze. “Maybe I was stupid for trying to look.”

"Sylvain's your childhood best friend, right?" Claude asked, glancing between them. He gave Ingrid a smile, his eyes lighting up. "I am so glad you came into my life, Ingrid, I am learning so much about Felix that he would have never let me in on otherwise. I may even win the office betting pool."

“The what?” Ingrid asked.

"Ugh, we aren't here to talk about my personal life, asshole." Felix nudged Claude's chair, the man laughing.

“But, I may be able to win!” he protested, despite the look Felix was giving him.

Ingrid joined in on the laughter, though hers was a bit more reserved. "Anyway, I left the Underground about two years ago. I'm not allowed to go back, but I've been working with a team and we have some really good intel about the place now."

Claude nodded. "This will be helpful. What are the chances of us getting someone of our own into the Underground?"

Ingrid hesitated, tracing her finger on the desk. "Are you going to wait until another body turns up, or do you plan on planting someone right away?"

Felix and Claude exchanged a glance.

"Not sure, I would rather avoid sending anyone down if we can help it." Felix admitted. “But, at this point, we may not have an option to ignore this any longer.”

Ingrid shook her head. "You'll need someone down there, if this is any further than the first circle or the fringes."

"Can you start by telling us the set up of the Underground?" Felix asked, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen.

Ingrid shifted, closing her eyes. "Everything I know is a closely kept secret. It can't go past this room, understand?"

Claude and Felix exchanged another glance, Claude nodding. "We won't let it get out."

"Good." Ingrid took a breath, shifting in her seat. "There are five parts in total... the three circles, the fringe, and the center. The fringe is the outermost society. They're part of the Underground, but they aren't part of it. Then you have the first circle, denoted by gold. They tend to be the more... rough and tumble types. They're the fighters and brawlers, but also farmers and horse breeders. The second circle is denoted by blue. They're the weapon users. Lances, swords, daggers, axes, anything you can think of. I saw someone from the second circle once beat someone else to death with a broom handle. The third circle is denoted by red. They're... they use magic-"

"Magic isn't real."

Ingrid shot Claude a look. "You'd be surprised at what _she_ was capable of. Magic was... almost nothing compared to that. The third circle was the smallest of all. And at the center lies the church."

Felix let out a snort. "There's a church in the center of the Underground?"

Ingrid shifted, lifting one shoulder. "Yeah, but it was a well kept secret. Only a select few in the second circle and everyone in the third circle knew about it. Those select few, the generals that watch over the second ring, first, and the fringes, they may as well be considered part of the center. They know everything."

"And how did you find out about it?" Claude asked, voice gentle.

"I'd rather... not get into that." Ingrid was looking at the paper in her hands, her fingers playing with the edge of it. “Just, it might be a lot, but you have to take my word for it.”

Felix looked down at the drawing, his notes scribbled on the rings. "If the killings are ritual... do the crests look familiar to you?"

Ingrid looked up at the board, shaking her head. "Other than the ones I've seen and have been told about here, no. They weren’t something that… I guess it really wasn’t common knowledge, even in the Underground. It was probably kept to the Generals, the third circle, and the center."

"Damn it," Felix groaned, tilting his head back. "If you had to take a guess and put the blame on one of the... circles, which would it be?"

Ingrid shifted, scratching the side of her head and looking down at his drawing. "The third or the center." She picked up a second pin, drawing an 'x' on those two lines. "If it is more ritualistic in nature, I wouldn't go any lower than the top of the tier."

Claude nodded, rubbing his chin. "Do you still know anyone on the inside?"

"I have... a few contacts. But..." Ingrid let out a sigh. "If we want to get into the Underground or if I want to get into touch with any of our contacts, we have to go through Edelgard and Hubert first. They’re fiercely protective of their own."

Felix nodded, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Maybe... if we work with them, we can get someone down into the Underground."

Ingrid shifted, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you want to do that, I can get in touch with Edelgard."

"We'll see if another body turns up. If it does, we'll... have to do something," Claude muttered, “and working it from the inside seems like it would be an easier choice.”

Felix glanced at the clock on the wall, letting out a curse. "I'm meeting my father for dinner. I'm going to be late at this rate. We'll pick this up Monday?"

Ingrid glanced up, raising an eyebrow. Felix shot her a look, Claude shaking his head.

"We'll pick it up Monday, if nothing happens over the weekend. You two have a good one." Claude leaned back in his chair, Felix grabbing his jacket and heading into the hall. Ingrid followed after him, flagging him down.

"Walk with me to the car." Felix jerked his head in the direction of the parking lot, fishing his keys out of his pocket.

"What does Claude know?" Ingrid asked.

"About what?" Felix asked.

Ingrid hesitated, her fingers flexing like she wanted to rip at a piece of paper again. "I guess... well, our childhood?"

"He's my work partner, not my boyfriend. He doesn't need to know anything about our shared childhood." Felix glanced at Ingrid, lifting his chin up. "And I would prefer it that way."

Ingrid hesitated but nodded. "See you Monday, then. You have a good night, Felix."

Felix nodded, getting into his car and sending Rodrigue a text, apologizing but letting him know a work meeting ran late. He started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and heading out.

~*~*~*~*~

Rodrigue was already sitting down at the booth when Felix arrived. He glanced around, spotting his father as the hostess stepped forward.

"Are you waiting for someone?" she asked, giving him a once over with a small smile. The place wasn’t his pick of choices, but he wasn’t going to argue with his father when they rarely made plans anyway. Better to keep the peace when it came to the nature of the topic at hand anyway.

Felix nodded, glancing at the crowded booths. "My father, who is already seated."

The woman nodded, glancing at where Felix was looking. She gave him a smile, waving him through and Felix joined Rodrigue.

"Sorry I'm late."

Rodrigue shook his head. "It's fine. How was work?"

Felix shrugged, glancing around the place. "It's been... confusing. Do you remember Ingrid Galatea?"

Rodrigue's gaze flickered, his mouth setting into a frown. "Yes, she was always tagging along with..."

Felix nodded. "She got transferred to the department and is working with Claude and myself now on that case I mentioned before."

The media hadn't picked up on the case again, not yet, and he wanted to keep it that way. The longer they could delay the fallout, the better it would be for them.

"It's good to hear that she's doing well." Rodrigue settled in his seat, taking Felix in. "And how are you?"

Felix gave him a one shouldered shrug. "I’ve been doing okay. It's an annoyance that this came back up, but we're going to deal with it the best way we know how. One step at a time. What have you been up to?"

Rodrigue shifted, smiling. "I've picked up gardening. I have several vegetables that are coming along and can be harvested soon. It’s been very relaxing to have something grow without a fight."

Felix eased his way through the conversation, catching up with his father and feeling only slightly guilty that they hadn't spoken in so long.

"You sure you aren't just asking me for these files due to a personal reason?" Rodrigue asked, his mouth pulling into a frown.

The topic couldn’t be avoided forever, but Felix almost wished it could.

Felix slumped against the back of the booth, fork resting on his plate. "I have enough nightmares without adding the official photos to that." He let out a sigh, meeting his father's gaze. "I just... I recalled there being... something on Lambert's skin. Later, I thought it was weird because I know he didn't have tattoos."

Rodrigue nodded. "They're in my car. We'll get them after dinner."

"I don't... suppose you would be able to tell me if Glenn had anything...something carved on his chest?" Felix asked, unable to look at his father when he asked the words.

The silence lengthened, Felix glancing at Rodrigue. The man was staring down at the table, his knuckles having gone white. "You know how his… death was deemed."

The official cause of death, suicide. Jumped from a building, but the body had seemed... too put together. "I..." Felix licked his lips, staring down at the plate in front of him.

Rodrigue let out a sigh. "Please, Felix, leave your brother out of it. I shouldn't even be giving you the other files. They’re sealed for a reason."

Felix nodded, knowing all too well what that look meant. "Thank you. I... really appreciate you doing this for me."

"If it gets too much-" Rodrigue began.

"I know, call the therapist." Felix smiled at his dad, even as he rolled his eyes. "How's Lady doing?"

"Ah, she's good. I think she misses you coming around. That dog loves you like no other." Rodrigue let the conversation drift into more neutral territory as their food came, Felix talking about some of the books he had been reading recently.

They parted ways once Felix retrieved the files from his father, promising to call him more often. Felix got into his car, looking at the files before driving home.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix sat at the table, placing his coffee next to him. He looked at the file that had been staring at him for the better part of the weekend. He had been avoiding them, truth to the words that he didn’t want official pictures joining his nightmares. He swallowed back his hesitation, pulling open the file and taking a breath.

He had seen so much worse since he joined the police force. Something that happened seventeen years shouldn’t have so much effect on his life, not anymore.

Those were the words Felix kept in mind as he glanced at the official report, stealing himself before he pulled the report off the top of the file and looked at the first picture. It had been just as he found it, Dimitri poised in front of his father, Lambert's hands resting on his son's shoulders.

Felix turned the first photo over, finding the photos from the autopsy report. Lambert's chest was carved, the lines uneven, done in a hurry, but it was still recognizable.

Felix glanced at the card on the table, swallowing down his fear as he turned to the next picture. He quickly flipped it over, unable to bring himself to look at the others. He turned to the top report, shuffling the pictures back into the file.

"Lambert and Dimitri Blaiddyd, found dead in their home..." Felix muttered the words under his breath, turning the paper over. "Killer thought to be connected to the Underground due to Blaiddyd pushing for reforms regarding the gangs."

Felix shook his head, collecting the papers. Nothing, nothing but... confirmation that, perhaps, this had been going on much longer.

"Or, the killer stopped and then started back up again, but why?" he muttered. He looked over the table, slamming his hand into it in frustration. He placed the file in his bag to take to work on Monday, retreating to his TV to find something worth his attention.


	6. Art Decor*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are getting longer, and the pieces are being set in place!
> 
> I'm working on updating tags as I go, so. Any pairings and people tags are def gonna pop up.
> 
> *Major Revisions

Felix stepped into the new office space, taking a seat at the table in the middle and pulled out the additional work files. He kept the Blaiddyd case file in his bag, putting it to the left of his chair as he considered their work, clicking a pen.

While it had been a mainly quiet week, Claude arranging a time to speak with Hanneman and possibly Linhardt, Felix had kept the Blaiddyd files at home. He had looked over the reports, studied the pictures and generally puzzled over the report.

The whole thing unsettled him.

There had been things that Felix hadn’t seen when he entered the house. The crest that had been written in blood on the wall, the way it had soaked everything. Even with the file in hand, Felix still wasn’t certain.

He looked up when the door opened, blinking as Ingrid breezed into the office.

"You're here early," Felix observed, watching her set her bag on the desk..

She shrugged at him. "I couldn't help but think there might be something I could think of this morning. How are you?"

Felix just shrugged at that. "Same as I was yesterday. Still no further on this case and we'll have to wait and see if another body turns up. Also, thank you." It was the first time the pair of them had been alone, Felix waiting for the moment that Claude hadn’t been hovering.

Ingrid cast him a look, caught off guard. She tilted her head, studying him. "For what?"

"For not telling Claude my personal crap when he was asking about it."

Ingrid nodded, relaxing at the mention of the third wheel. While Claude and Ingrid hadn’t really gotten along, they were polite enough. "He's really invested in getting to know about your childhood, isn't it?" She tapped a finger against the table, her free hand going to her pockets and patting at them, pulling out a lighter with a sigh.

"There's a betting pool around the precinct. See who can find out about me first. I think Claude's the only one that hasn't given up." Felix looked back down at the papers, picking up the autopsy report on the gentleman with the Gautier crest carved in him.

"Wait, if I take some facts back on you, do I win?" Ingrid asked, leaning forward to see what he was looking at.

"You don't count." Claude walked into the office, placing himself into the chair. He smirked at Ingrid, winking at her. "But, if you want to tell me something, I'd be happy to talk about it over drinks."

"Ugh, you're worse than-" Ingrid caught herself, glancing at Felix. "Anyway, there's been nothing new going on that I’ve heard of. Have you heard anything?"

Felix looked up from the report, looking back down at it. The DNA had turned up nothing. They had asked them to run another test, just to be sure.

Claude shook his head, letting out a sigh. "Just like last time, nothing turned up at the crime scene. No fingerprints, no hairs, not even a stray shoe print. Nothing. You think people dumping bodies would leave more signs, but nope. It's like they were just. Transported there."

"Maybe they were."

Claude and Felix shared a glance, Ingrid nodding at the board.

"The magic I was telling you about. There was also transport magic. Maybe that's why the bodies look like they were just... teleported to the scenes." Ingrid looked down at the table, letting out a breath. “I know it doesn’t sound… look, there are times where I wonder if what I saw was real or if… I was just on something.”

Claude let out a breath, closing his eyes. "I take your word for it. There’s a lot of crazy that can go on in the world. Who knows what’s out there."

Ingrid nodded, looking relieved. “If people were kidnapped and later teleported to the scene it would explain the lack of well… everything.”

“On top of not being able to identify bodies…” Felix muttered, his gaze shifting to the table.

Claude smiled at them. “Well, we wouldn’t be in this job if we wanted things to be easy, right?” he asked.

“No, but… do we really have time to just wait for another body to turn up?” Ingrid asked.

Felix flicked his gaze to her, clearing his throat. "Speaking of bodies turning up," Felix started, glancing at the corkboard, "back in 2003, the Blaiddyds were murdered in their home." He pulled the file onto the table, ignoring the color Ingrid turned as he opened the file. "It was connected to the Underground, as Lambert Blaiddyd was a staunch believer in cleaning them up and eradicating them."

Felix pulled the papers out, passing them to Claude.

"Lambert and Dimitri Blaiddyd were found dead by a family friend. L. Blaiddyd was decapitated, with the following design inscribed..." Claude mumbled the words as his gaze dropped the picture. Felix placed the Blaiddyd card next to the photo. "Holy shit."

"Felix-"

Felix shot Ingrid a glare, tilting his head. "My father knew Lambert Blaiddyd. He had a copy of the paperwork. When I was... younger, I had looked through some of his files without permission. Found that instead."

Claude glanced up, offering Ingrid the photos as he picked up the Blaiddyd card, keeping one of the pictures of Lambert laid out on the table.

"Your dad..."

"Was an investigator who also had an interest in the Underground." Felix shifted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh god, that's... you actually saw-" Ingrid asked, looking up at Felix.

Felix twitched, his fingers curling tighter into his arm. He held his arms tighter to his chest, ignoring Claude's look. "Oh, no. I just ran out of the house screaming because I thought it would be fun, _Ingrid_."

"Ah-" Ingrid glanced at Claude, setting the photos down. "Sorry."

Felix shook his head. "Anyway."

"Wait, did you actually see this?" Claude asked.

Felix let out a sigh. “No, pictures. So, I guess? But, not…” he trailed off, looking at Ingrid.

"Dimitri was one of my friends," Ingrid spoke up, "I had heard what happened but... never saw the pictures. My parents refused and, well, I didn’t know much about internet access back then."

Felix nodded in agreement, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, it wasn't... pretty. I guess I know why dad didn't want me in his files."

"Yeah, no kidding. How old were you when you saw this?" Claude looked over the pictures, a frown etched into his features.

"Thirteen."

Felix sent Ingrid a pleading glance, thankful when she remained quiet.

"If this is part of it, why did they wait so long between killings? This murder took place in two thousand and three, that was seveteen years ago. Why would they wait sixteen years to start killing again?" Claude set the paperwork down, looking at the cards that were still on the table.

Felix shrugged, letting out a sigh. "I don't know, I wish I did."

"Well, it at least gives us an idea of how long the killer may have been planning these murders." Ingrid scratched the side of her head, looking down at the information. "Should we look through old murder records and cross reference anything with a carved symbol like this?"

"There's not much. I looked into it at first. Thought maybe we had missed something. But this is the only other case I've seen..." Claude sighed. "Though, it looks like this carving was specifically done post-mortem."

"The others were all pre?" Ingrid asked.

"In a sense," Felix murmured, "they were carved first. Then the symbols were reopened after death. In the case of Cichol, there's some really old scarring where they didn't quite match the new carving with the old."

"And none of the victims are related?" Ingrid asked.

"Nope. The only real name we would have for any of the victims are..." Claude gestured at Lambert's picture on the table. "The rest of the bodies have never been identified. We were thinking maybe the Underground was disposing of people that got too close.”

“But, they wouldn't use a complicated ritual to get rid of a few pesky problems. They would just kill them and burn the bodies.” Ingrid’s gaze shifted, hardening as she looked at the file. “These methods were something that takes time.”

Felix looked at the cards still on the table, Claude getting up and pinning the picture of Lambert on the corkboard with the Blaiddyd card, though a question mark went next to it. He sat back down, resting his elbow on the table. He propped his head up on his hand, letting out a sigh.

"There's really no telling who the killer picks, huh?" Ingrid asked, looking at all the pictures. Felix shook his head, sighing.

"And they just keep coming," Felix muttered, resting his head on the table to think.

The trio lapsed into silence, Felix frowning at the board. He got up, stepping closer to examine the images but found nothing else.

~*~*~*~*~

"The hearts."

Felix stared blankly at Ingrid, watching as the woman stopped, looking up at the board. Several different reports were scattered in front of her, copies of the original reports so they could write on them, making their own notes.

"What about hearts?" Claude asked.

"I looked at the Cichol records. When you found the body, the heart was missing, right? And he was decapitated." Ingrid asked.

Claude nodded. "Yeah, Cichol was the only one with a missing heart. He was crucified, as the actual cause of death."

"Blaiddyd is missing a heart." Ingrid looked up from the reports, glancing between the two of them. "So, why would those two be missing a heart, and no one else? He was also decapitated."

Felix groaned. "Ingrid..."

"Maybe they ate the hearts," Claude suggested, "but only because those two were... they were both men, right? Maybe they ate the hearts of men."

"But Gloucester and Ernest still have their hearts," Felix argued, "so it can't be that. And all three bodies we picked up recently had hearts, they were all men."

“No, Gautier didn’t have a heart.”

Felix glanced at him, turning to squint at the board. “That’s three men that had no hearts. So, what’s the significance of the hearts missing?”

Ingrid opened her mouth, pressing her lips together. "But why would they take just three hearts and nothing else?"

"Maybe they got what they needed out of those bodies?" Claude suggested.

"How did they manage to get the hearts out? There’s no sign of any other damage." Felix pointed out.

“Maybe… through the neck?” Ingrid wanted to laugh the suggestion off, placing her head on the table. “Or, they used magic.”

Claude threw up his hands, opening the drawer to his left. He pulled out a new bottle of whiskey, setting it on the table. "On days like these, we think taking a shot will settle all of our minds."

"I would have never put together the fact that hearts were missing..." Felix muttered, pulling out the shot glasses. Ingrid stared at them before she sighed.

"For the record, I abhor this behavior of yours. So, pour me a shot, too."

Claude grinned, pouring out the drinks and handing hers over. He raised his own, tipping it towards Ingrid. "To the case with more headaches than even my parents can cause."

"I've met your parents. You're overselling the case," Felix commented, but raised his own glass.

Claude laughed. "Fine, fine. So... do we think beheading means no heart? Even then, Gautier, Cichol, and Blaiddyd were all killed in different methods."

Ingrid and Felix contemplated the question over their glasses, Felix relenting. "It's a possibility. If this is connected to... magic, then they're getting something out of this. I don't know what they're getting..."

"No telling with that one." Ingrid grimaced, closing her eyes. "I'll reach out to El and Hubert, talk to them about getting someone back under to work this case from the below."

"I really don't like that idea," Felix grumbled, "they're just going to kill anyone who we send down."

"Then maybe one of us should be the ones that go down." Claude shifted, ignoring Ingrid's look.

"If another body turns up, we'll have to set something in motion. But, we'll build a plan before then." Ingrid relented, glancing away from them. "It's dangerous under there, so it would have to be someone with weapon skills. Look, I'll reach out to El, talk to her about the different options we have."

"Let's hope another body doesn't turn up," Felix grumbled.

They finished their drinks in silence, Ingrid's gaze pinned to the board.

~*~*~*~*~

“Good afternoon Mr. Hanneman, this is Claude von Riegan from the Fodlan Police Department. I’m calling in regards to scheduling a time to speak to you and Mr. Hevring about your research?”

Claude tapped a finger against the table, glancing back at Felix as the man rolled his eyes, shifting in his chair. His jacket was flung over the back of his chair, a card in his hand as he studied it, holding it up to the light.

The second run of DNA had come back to them just as unpromising as the first round had. The technicians had been confused, explaining that something about the samples were pinging their machines, but that they weren’t able to read anything off of it.

It left them at their current stalemate. Claude had been calling both Hanneman’s personal cell as well as the history department on and off for the past week, hoping someone would answer. He was delighted when Hanneman had finally picked up.

“Ah, good afternoon Claude, it’s a pleasure to hear from you again. Though, I suppose with the current circumstances, it’s not actually that pleasant.”

Claude laughed as Hanneman hummed over the phone, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, you got that right.” The media had been more than happy to jump on the police and make a mockery of them when they caught wind of the latest three victims. “Anyway, my partner and I were hoping to schedule a time for you to talk to us more about your research project?”

“I’m afraid that I’m out of town at the moment, but as soon as I return, I will let you know. Linhardt should be in the office. Have you been unable to reach him?” Hanneman asked.

Claude let out a sigh. “Nope, we haven’t been. When will you be back in town?”

“Within the week. As soon as I return, I’ll call and schedule an appointment with you and Mr. Fraldarius. Actually, while you’re there, perhaps you would humor me with an experiment related to our research.”

Claude glanced at Felix, raising an eyebrow. “Well, it depends on what you want from us. But, I’d be interested in that appointment to speak with you further. You have a good day, Hanneman.”

“You too, Claude. I look forward to speaking with you!”

Claude hung up the phone, placing it on the table with a groan.

“Another dead end?” Felix asked, looking up at him.

Claude let out a snort. “Hanneman is out of town for a while. He’ll call once he’s back in town.”

“Good, you’re off the phone. Catherine called in a body. We have to go.” Ingrid poked her head through the door, glancing between the pair of them. Felix set his papers down, grabbing his jacket while Claude let out a sigh, running a hand over his face.

The rough edges of stubble caught him off guard, Claude making a mental note to shave when he never remembered.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes. The crime scene was tapped off in front of them, the body twisted on the ground.

"You sure this is our body?"

Catherine let out a snort, glancing at Felix. Claude was behind him, staring at the mess.

"Once you put the pieces together, there's going to be a carving, I can feel it." Catherine gestured towards where the officers were taking photos, grimacing.

"They took the time to arrange the body... into the crest."

Felix glanced at Claude, raising an eyebrow. Claude nodded at the parts, glancing over his shoulder. He took several steps back before he pulled himself onto the hood of one of the trucks, climbing up to the roof to get a better view. 

"It looks like... the Cethleann crest. The arms are in that weird... wishbone shape, then you have the legs as the outer pincer with the... uh... split in half torsor in place for the line that comes down and out, rather than up and in."

Felix shuddered as Claude snapped a photo. "That is the worst description I've heard."

"Why did they switch from leaving a body just... anywhere to uhm... this?" Ingrid asked, gesturing towards the scene.

Ingrid hadn’t given them much to go off of and the last few weeks had been filled with an irritatingly long silence from the history department. Felix wanted to blow off steam, even if there wasn’t anything he could actually do but wait.

"Maybe they got bored or wanted to make a statement?" Claude suggested, joining them back on the ground. He waved as the captain rolled her eyes, turning to instruct the men to start bagging up the pieces once everything was photographed. “It’s not like they didn’t change up their killing methods before. This could just be extreme body dismemberment and boredom!”

"What sort of statement would you make out of this?" Ingrid asked, gesturing to the body. They were near a public school, though luckily school was out for the summer.

"Captain, we're missing a piece!"

"What do you mean, you're missing a piece?" Catherine shouted, Felix letting his scowl settle deeper on his face.

"The head's gone."

"Come again?" Catherine asked, staring the man down.

He shuffled his feet, meeting her gaze. "Uh, the... head's missing?"

Claude threw his hands up, digging his fingers into his hair. Felix stared back up at the sky, closing his eyes. They never had much luck identifying bodies that were dumped in the first place, but without a head...

"When you get back to the station, check to see if the body is also missing a heart," Claude suggests, looking at the split torso with a shudder. Catherine just nodded, turning to Ingrid when the woman cleared her throat.

"Captain, we need to go Underground." Ingrid's voice was soft, Catherine glancing at the trio. She studied them, her mouth pulling into a frown.

"We'll discuss it when we're back at the station. For now, let's just get what we can find and head back."

They nodded, Felix walking towards the body. He studied how the torso was split, the organs shifted to make them stay in their respective halves. He moved when someone came to collect more pieces, stepping away and shaking his head.

"Anything new?" Claude asked when Felix rejoined him.

"Why did they change how they're arranging bodies?" Felix asked.

"Maybe... they wanted to try a different method?" Claude hedged, frowning at the scene. "Either way, Ingrid's right. We really need someone down there."

Felix nodded, his mouth set into a frown. "And both of those historians are out of town, just our luck."

Claude nodded. "I'll try calling the department again when we get back."

Felix nodded, heading for their car. Ingrid waved them on, gesturing to Catherine. "I’m catching a ride with the captain, I'll meet you back at the office."

Felix nodded, Claude pressing the phone to his ear. Felix unlocked the door, Claude frowning as he hung up the call.

"Voicemail?" Felix asked.

"Line's disconnected." Claude dialed a second number, getting into the car. Felix turned up the A/C once the car started, the heat wearing him down.

"Hello Professor Hanneman, this is Claude Riegan, from the Fodlan Police Department, again. I apologize for bothering you so soon again, but do you have Linhardt Hevring’s personal cell number??"

Felix shifted in his seat as he drove, stopping at a light. Claude frowned, listening to the response.

"Actually, yes, I was hoping to speak with Linhardt. Since you’re out of town and-" Claude let himself be cut of, leaning back in his seat. Felix gave him another look, Claude holding up a finger.

"Yes, I understand that you were out of the office but-"

Claude rolled his eyes as he was cut off again, Felix idling at the red light. He looked at Claude, the man shaking his head.

"Right, right. Okay. If you do get in touch with the university, can you please let them know that we want to speak with him?” Claude asked.

He hung up the call, looking at his phone with concern.

"So?" Felix asked.

"According to Hanneman, he just received a call that Linhardt hasn’t been in the office in about two weeks. He was going to call and inform us, but I beat him to it."

Felix opened his mouth, shutting it again. He sat back in his seat, going when the light turned green. "We can at least run DNA on the body."

"Right."

~*~*~*~*~

They arrived back at the station last, despite being the first to leave. They met Catherine and Ingrid in Catherine's office, the woman shutting the door.

"So, you really want to send someone down to the Underground?" She turned to look at the trio, narrowing her eyes.

Ingrid nodded. "It would be the best bet. Right now, we're chasing more questions than answers. If we can get someone down there..."

"I also want to run DNA testing on the body," Felix commented, "I know it hasn't gotten us anywhere else in the past, but..."

Catherine sighed. "I'm pretty sure they're already doing it. Any ideas where the head might be?"

"No. But the victim is male, right?" Claude asked.

"You saw the state of the body. Best we can guess, yeah, probably male, maybe late twenties to early thirties. Artfully arranged." Catherine sighed. "How do you plan on getting someone into the Underground?"

Ingrid pushed hair out of her face, glancing at her two partners. "Well, it's going to have to be someone we can trust to not just run off. I'll speak with the head of the Underground Task Force, see what we can get into pl-"

"I'll do it." Felix ignored the look Ingrid shot him, staring at Catherine. "You'll want someone with weapons training. I can pass and I don't have many personal connections up here." Felix waved his hand, indicating exactly nothing with the gesture. 

Claude gave him a look, narrowing his eyes. "You don't think you'll be recognizable?" Claude asked. "You're a well known detective. they're going to be on you the minute you step foot down there."

Ingrid hesitated. "That... may work. Fake name, a little bit of a makeover, and you could pass."

"And what's the likelihood that you get caught and killed and we're finding your body next?" Catherine demanded, pointing a finger at Felix.

"If I'm smart about it, there won't be that likelihood," Felix retorted. "I just have to be smart about it."

Claude crossed his arms over his chest. "And if you get hurt down there? Or killed?"

"Then we know we were getting close to the truth." Felix muttered, feeling the weight of the captain’s stare.

Ingrid shook her head. "It's impossible to argue with him when he's like this."

"Galatea, you get in touch with your task force leader. Talk to them about the probabilities of getting Cat here down into the Underground."

Felix threw Catherine a murderous look, Claude muffling his laughter behind a cough.

"Yes, ma'am." Ingrid gave Catherine a salute, walking out of the office. Catherine blocked Claude and Felix from leaving, her face set into a grimace.

"I will give you permission to go Underground. However, if you turn up as a body, I will find a way to resurect you myself and murder you again," Catherine warned, "so be safe down there, okay?"

Felix let out a sigh. "That's if they would even be able to get me down in the first place. There's a chance they won't."

Catherine nodded, uncrossing her arms. "Just, be safe if you do go down, okay?"

"Of course." Felix took his leave, Claude trailing after him. The man looked concerned, Felix only stopping to look at him when they reached their office. "Something on your mind?"

Claude hesitated. "What if you do get caught?"

"That'd be one less body to identify."

Claude opened his mouth, Felix letting out a sigh.

"Look, I don't trust anyone else to go down and not die. I... can at least pretend I have a fighting chance. If something happens, I have enough will to get out of a situation if something goes south."

"But, the Underground?" Claude asked.

Felix sighed, shaking his head. "I won't die."

"Good, cause I'd hate to have another partner so soon."

Felix met Claude's gaze, nodding after a moment. "I won't go down that easy, I can promise you that."

Felix and Claude had been working together for the better part of two years and they had a decent partnership. Felix's last partner had left the department in tears, over how Felix acted towards a murder case that had gone cold.

Claude was Felix's fifth partner and the only one that the man hadn't managed to push away, much to Catherine's never-ending amusement.

Felix had been Claude's fourth partner, because everyone took one look at him and shook their head, not even wanting to deal with the mess that was his organization skills.

Catherine stuck them together, told them neither of them would be getting any more partners, and called it a day.

Felix settled at the desk, looking back at the board. "Besides, if I die, I doubt Catherine will be the only one in line with the idea of bringing me back to kill me again."

Claude laughed at that, shaking his head. "You're not wrong about that. Before you go, you should tell me about your childhood. All those beautiful stories should be given out to be remembered. I would hate for your past to go as cold as your body."

"Not going to happen, Riegan."

Claude let out a sigh, pressing a hand to his chest. "You wound me, Fraldarius. And here I thought, we were finally partners."

"Hey, DNA results came back." Ingrid popped through the door, ending their conversation. "Surprisingly, this one did come back with a match."

Felix and Claude exchanged a glance, Felix crossing his arms over his chest. "Well?" he asked.

"It belongs to a man by the name of Linhardt von Hevring."


	7. Edelgard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just. There's a lot of time fuckery in this, because I wanted to get to the good parts.
> 
> Also, should be updating regularly on Mondays.
> 
> Revised.

Felix sat in the office, shuffling through the notes. Two new pictures, one of the body and one of Linhardt himself, were on the board, though the actual photo of the man covered the body. And yet, still no head had been found.

He glanced up when he heard a door squeak, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was alone, he had come in early, unable to sleep. He set the papers to the side, tilting his head.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention and he stood, heading towards the front of the building. All other lights were off save for the lobby light and his office. But, Felix hadn't left the lobby light on, he had turned it off the moment he walked past.

The footsteps stopped, Felix pausing. His hand drifted to the gun at his side, fingers twitching.

If it had been someone from the station, they would have announced themselves, but-

He whirled when footsteps came running down the hall, followed by laughter. The child stared up at him, eyes wide as he grinned. His front teeth held a gap, his eyes bright with light.

"Mother wants you home, Glenn. And you know that she's not a patient woman."

The child, Dimitri, held out his hand and Felix pulled out his gun.

Dimitri's smile dropped and he withdrew his hand. The thing in front of him shifted, growing larger and larger until Felix was forced to take a step back. The tall man, blood glistening on his skin, smiled at him.

"I was told you wouldn't want to come home."

The voice was rougher, Felix raising the gun to point at the thing's chest. The beast looked like Lambert, though he was more broad-shoulder. The armour and fur cloak looked like something that could have walked off a medieval movie set and Felix wasn’t sure that bullets were going to work on the thing.

"Hello?"

The front door slammed shut as Claude's voice drifted into the station, Felix watching the man melt into shadows. He kept his gun drawn, eyes wide as his partner stepped into the hallway. The sudden sound caused Felix to whip around, gun trained on Claude.

Claude held his hands in the air, looking from Felix to the gun. "Uh-"

"Sorry." Felix dropped his arm, returning the gun to his holster. "I... thought I heard something." His gaze flicked to the security monitors and he headed towards the camera room. Claude trailed behind him, Felix walking up to the monitors. He found the one he was looking for, watching himself walk into the hall.

To draw his gun at empty air.

"You okay?" Claude asked, Felix exiting out of the recording.

"I... thought I heard something. Must have just been you." Never mind that Claude had come in after Felix had drawn his gun on the Dimitri thing.

"Right... well, why are you here so early?" Claude asked, following Felix to their office.

Felix sat back down, esturing to their work. "I was hoping I could figure out what connected all of these people together. I haven't had much luck, if I'm honest."

"Do you think it's strange that the Underground went after Linhardt?" Claude looked at the mess of papers, turning to look at Felix.

"They could have gone after him because he was helping us and we were getting closer to figuring out whatever this is. Maybe Linhardt knew something else and he wasn't able to tell us." Felix pointed out.

Claude nodded, looking at their map of crests next to the board. "One murder in two thousand three, eight spreading between the middle of twenty nineteen to March of twenty twenty. Three bodies turn up in June, then one in July. No connection that we can see with the way bodies are dumped."

"And we can only identify two bodies out of thirteen. And of all the bodies that turned up, the four that were beheaded are also missing hearts."

"With the only connection between all of these murders being the crests that are carved into the bodies. Not to mention the extra time it would have taken to set up Linhardt's body in the shape of the crest itself."

The pair stared at each other, Claude shaking his head.

"How was your evening?" Felix asked, when neither of them wished to continue their current conversation.

Claude shrugged. "Hung out with an old high school friend, tried to wrap my head around not seeing you for a while. It's going to be quiet without you here."

Catherine had approved of the meeting with Edelgard. That had been the only bright spot in their week.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Quiet, without me? Ah, well, you can always talk to the chair I would be sitting at. It would give about as many shits as I do."

"Oh, come on, you wouldn't ask me that kind of question if you didn't care about me." Claude smiled at him, shifting in his seat. "How was your night?"

"It was... quiet." Felix shifted in his seat, looking towards Claude. "I was getting stuff prepared in case Edelgard approved of the proposition."

Claude nodded. "Are you worried?"

"No."

Claude nodded, picking up one of the older reports. He began to read through it, thought he and Felix could recite all the reports word for word by now.

"You are."

Felix looked up at Claude, tilting his head. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"You're staring at the paper like you might set it on fire if you try hard enough. You only do that when you're worried and trying to hide it. I'm guessing you would be at the gun range, if it wasn't closed." Claude commented. "You have a lot of tells, even if you don't realize them."

Felix set the paper down, meeting Claude's gaze. "You're worried, too."

Claude opened his mouth, shrugging. "Yeah, but that's because, for some damn reason, I actually like you. And I would hate to see you get caught up in this mess and end up on that board."

"There aren't repeat symbols."

Claude gave him a look, Felix letting out a groan.

"Whoever is dumping these bodies, there hasn't been a repeat crest."

"Yeah, but I haven’t seen a Fraldarius crest pop up, either."

Felix shifted, closing his eyes. Dimitri, standing in the lobby and smiling at him. Telling him that mother was waiting. But, for Glenn and not him...

"My brother."

Claude made a noise of confusion, Felix opening his eyes.

"When I was eleven, about a month, maybe two after the Blaiddyd murders, my older brother went missing. He was found dead in October and my father moved us away from this town until I was eighteen. When I came back, he came back with me. Being as young as I was, I was hoping that maybe... they had the wrong body. It couldn't have been my brother." Felix looked away, staring at the wall. "They wanted to put dad and I in a witness protection program, but dad refused. He simply... moved away and we grew up in a town in Faerghus. As far from Fodlan City as dad could get."

Claude took in a breath. "And you think..."

"I don't know, those are the files dad refuses to give to me. Glenn's death was ruled a suicide. They said he jumped from a building but... I don't think he did."

"Oh."

"Good morning!"

Ingrid breezed into the office, setting down the tray of coffee and donuts. Felix wrinkled his nose at the box, Ingrid placing the plain, black coffee in front of him. She glanced between Felix and Claude, her smile dropping.

"Don't tell me there's been another murder."

Felix collected himself, taking the cup of coffee. "I'm just horrified that we can drink this stuff in this heat."

Ingrid opened her mouth, watching as Felix took a sip of the coffee despite his comment. She just shrugged, taking her own iced coffee from the tray and pushing the last drink over to Claude, who accepted it.

"Nope, no new murders. We were just talking about the Blaiddyd murder case. And Felix was telling me a bit about his move to Faerghus."

Felix rolled his eyes. "This place may suck during summer, but I don't mind the mild winters. Faerghus was about as warm during summer as one of our colder springs."

"No wonder you're so short. You were stunted because they left the sun out of the equation." Claude winked at Felix, Felix rolling his eyes. "How is our wonderful bearer of coffee doing this morning?"

Ingrid glanced between Claude and Felix, shaking herself. "I'm doing great! I had an amazing weekend and my boyfriend made the best dinner yesterday. I brought leftovers."

"You have a boyfriend?"

"That sounds amazing! Are you going to share the food?"

Ingrid glanced between the two men, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Felix, I have a boyfriend. We've been together for like, four years now. And thanks, Claude, I will not be sharing my food! It was great! I enjoy spending time together with my partner."

"Wow, and I thought I was doing good because I haven't killed my houseplant yet." Claude grinned, Ingrid narrowing her eyes. "Of course, it's a cactus. So, maybe that's why I haven't killed it yet."

"Neither of you are dating, are you?" Ingrid asked.

"Nope," Claude said with a pop of the 'p'. "No one has come riding in on a white wyvern to sweep me off my feet. All I live for is my cactus, my dear, darling Fefe. She and I are bonded and will take on the world together."

"And here I thought you would kill it," Felix sighed, "at least I know my cactus is doing well."

"You could always ask about the cactus," Claude replied. "And you gave her to me, so does that really make her _your_ cactus?"

"Yes."

"Why did you give Claude a cactus?" Ingrid asked.

"I managed to make it a year of working with Felix without Catherine having to knock our heads together. She gave Felix a cactus for behaving for a year. He gave me the cactus so I would always have a reminder of his outstanding personality." Claude grinned as he spoke, Ingrid shaking her head.

"Forget I asked. Edelgard will be here at nine, she'll interview you and determine if you're a good fit for the Underground mission. If you aren't, we'll have to see who they suggest instead." Ingrid turned her attention to work, taking a donut out of the box. Claude helped himself to one of the donuts, his grin widening.

“Have I ever told you that you are the best, Ingrid?” Claude asked.

"Right, is there anything I should know about them?" Felix inquired, ignoring Claude’s statement.

Ingrid hesitated. "You remember Dimitri's step mother, right? Quiet woman? Had cancer?"

Felix nodded. "Yeah, she died when we were like, seven. Dad spent a lot of time with Lambert, comforting him."

“I want to meet your father one day, Felix.” Claude leaned forward, squinting at him. “I want to know how such a kind, caring man had such a prickly son as you. He comforted Lambert through his second wife’s death?”

Felix rolled his eyes. “I’m sure he did so when Dimitri’s mother did, too. They were childhood friends, Claude. They worked together. They were really good friends.”

"Right. Well, Edelgard would be the stepsister that Dimitri lost touch with after that happened."

"The one he gave a dagger to, right before the funeral?" Felix asked, shaking his head. "That same Edelgard?"

"Yep," Ingrid said, "I about lost my shit when I realized who she was. She, however, only has fond memories of us, so that should help. Don't expect her to be nice, however."

"Noted."

"So, any other childhood friends that I should know about?" Claude asked.

Ingrid and Felix shared a glance. She waved her hand, shrugging. "Nope, it was always just.. the four of us."

"And Glenn."

"Wait, Sylvain would be the fourth person, right?" Claude asked. "And Glenn is Felix's brother."

"Well, Sylvain was more... Glenn's friend, but they put up with us," Felix explained, "and Sylvain liked us enough to put up with kids three years younger than him when he didn't have to."

"Right." Ingrid cleared her throat, glancing around the desk. "Well, what are we doing until Edelgard gets here?"

"Wasting time." Felix sat back in his chair, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He poked through some social media, pulling up a game to waste more time.

~*~*~*~*~

The trio jumped when there was a knock on the door frame, Felix setting his phone down long enough to observe the woman standing there. She folded her arms over her chest, her hair pulled up and out of her face.

"Hello, Ingrid, it's a pleasure to see you."

"Hi, Edelgard!" Ingrid smiled, getting up to greet her. "This is Felix Fraldarius and Claude von Riegan. The detectives on the Crest Carver case."

Edelgard nodded, looking over the pair in thought. "And one of you wants to go into the Underground?"

Felix nodded. "I want to."

"You know they'll kill you as soon as they realize that you're part of the police."

"Yes."

Edelgard shifted. "What weapon do you prefer fighting with?"

"Sword."

"Can you dance?"

Felix gave her a look, Edelgard shrugging. "What does _dancing_ have to do with any of this?" he asked.

"Well, can you?" Edelgard retorted.

"Depends on the dance, I guess."

Edelgard nodded, looking him up and down. "And what about you?" she asked Claude.

"Nope, I don't dance." Claude glanced between them, frowning. "Is dancing really necessary for this?"

She waved her hand at Claude's question. "What sort of social life do you have? Will people notice if you just stop posting for a while? Would anyone start asking questions if you disappeared?"

"The only one who might be slightly curious is my father, and we only talk about once every few weeks. Any other friends I have are used to me going silent for months on end when there's a particularly bad case that I'm working on." Felix gestured to the board behind them. "And this counts as that."

Edelgard glanced up, her eyes focusing on the most recent picture. "How well do you do under stress?"

"I would say pretty well."

Edelgard nodded. "When was the last time you had sex?"

"Three years ago?"

"You afraid to fuck a guy?"

"No, but, like the dancing, what does this have to do with anything?" Felix demanded.

"You never know what situations will come up in the Underground. Or what will be asked for you. I can put you in touch with one of our contacts. They'll get you into the Underground. But, you'll need an alias. A new look." She eyed Felix up and down, crossing her arms over her chest. "And you have to realize that they hate you in the Underground."

Felix opened his mouth, stopping long enough to frown. "Okay-"

"So, he's not a viable option to send, is he?" Ingrid asked.

Edelgard tilted her head, studying Felix. "We could make it work. You want to find who the Crest Carver is, I want to ensure that the Underground is destroyed. Maybe we're working towards the same goals."

"What are you planning?" Ingrid asked, Edelgard just smiling at the trio.

"We can go about this two ways: we utterly destroy Felix's reputation and have him go on the run, in which case our point of contact can pick him up, or he goes under an alias and runs the risk of being found out and killed." Edelgard stated the facts, her demeanor never changing.

"I don't like where this is going..." Claude began.

"I'm in." Felix put his hand on the table, meeting Edelgard's gaze. "Whatever it takes."

Ingrid looked at Felix, glancing towards the board. "You aren't just doing this because of the Blaiddyds being involved, are you?"

"No."

"Fine. We'll orchestrate a fallout between you and the police, fix you with some trumped up charges, and get you off to the Underground."

Felix opened his mouth, Edelgard waving her hand. "Once you get an idea in your head, you won't stop until you get your way. I spoke at length to Ingrid about this and this way, Ingrid knows you aren't just running down there without a single idea in your head."

"Harsh," Claude commented, "but I suppose it makes sense. Let's get started, then."

Felix sat back in his chair, Edelgard walking to the clean whiteboard. She picked up a marker, beginning to write on it.


	8. The Underground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And things start really rolling now!
> 
> Shorter Chapter, but something I really wanted to _focus_ on in this particular story.
> 
> Revised.

Felix slammed the door of his apartment shut, throwing himself on the couch. The air conditioning was running, his headache pounding in time with it.

Even knowing what was to come, the fallout had still felt like a slap in the face. And with the only two people he could trust in on it, Felix felt like shit.

He wasn’t even allowed to contact Claude until the investigation was over. The only thing he was looking forward to was the meeting with Ferdinand, of which would take place soon and at a small cafe he still needed to look up the directions to.

Felix listened to his phone vibrate, his face heating further.

Edelgard hadn't even had that far to reach for setting Felix up. All it took was a few pushes in the right direction, and a situation manifested without much digging.

Breaking into sealed records, tampering with evidence, concealing details thought to be useful. Messing with the security system at the station. Hiding a history of delusions and hallucinations, ones that hadn't bothered him in years but could put everyone in danger if they started to come back at the wrong time. All of it had taken less than two weeks to be put together and placed on Catherine's desk by a concerned Ingrid, who only wanted what was best for her remaining childhood friend.

Claude had avoided the fallout, his natural charm rubbing off on Catherine. He had seemed concerned at first, but it drifted off him like the first snow in winter. Claude had even told their captain about walking into the station and having Felix draw a gun on him.

He was unstable, Claude said it like it was nothing personal. Maybe Felix had a bit too much to take in when he was a kid, that he shouldn't be there. Even more so now that they _had_ linked the Crest Carver murders to one of Felix's own childhood friends.

Maybe even his own brother. (Claude had promised to try and get a copy of Glenn’s file to see if there was anything else in it.)

The conflict of interest should have been enough to pull him off the case the moment it popped up, but Felix didn't talk about his childhood. He didn't mention that he knew the Blaiddyds. And he certainly shouldn't have had access to those files without first filling out a request.

Catherine had gone after Felix and only Felix.

She would be filled in by Edelgard and Hubert, once Felix was safely under and enough time had passed. No use on letting the captain know until the damage had been done. She had agreed to it, even if it hadn’t been to this extent.

The operation hinged on that damage being there.

He got up from the couch when his phone wouldn't stop ringing, the caller insistent on getting in touch. He picked it up, looking at the screen and groaning as Rodrigue's name flashed across.

Of course he would know, he was on friendly terms with Catherine. If she took it to anyone outside the station, it would be his father.

He considered ignoring the call, but he answered instead, placing the phone against his ear.

"What?"

Felix immediately regretted snapping the word, forcing his body to relax. It wasn't his father he was angry at, not really. He could only be angry at himself for the situation he was in.

"What happened?" Rodrigue was the perfect picture of concern, his voice wobbling on the question.

Felix considered the question, fixing his gaze on the wall as he moved to sit back on the couch. He pulled the simmering rage to the forefront of his mind, narrowing his eyes. Angry and bitter, that's what he was and always had been.

"I'm tired of watching that whore run through the precinct like she knows what she's doing." He liked Catherine, trained with her when she felt like she needed a refresher in swordsmanship. They got along well and she liked the challenge he gave her when he felt she needed it.

"Felix-"

"Oh, come off it," Felix snapped, "it's not like we've done much good for this damn city. The police won't even go near anywhere they're not supposed to without pissing themselves because they fear the Underground so much."

Angry, bitter. Traumatized.

He had a lot of words applied to him over the years. His father had drifted away during Felix's teen years because he looked so much like Glenn. It had taken them ages to reconnect. Ages for his _father_ to heal from the ruins of their family.

Now, here came Felix, trashing what little did remain of his relationship with his father.

"If you want anything done in this city," Felix seethed, "you can't play by the rules." He hung up the call, turned the phone off and chucked it at all the wall. It hit with a thud, falling to the floor and Felix walked over, picking it up to examine the broken glass.

Tomorrow, he would meet up with the contact Edelgard had spoken of. She had promised that it would be fine, that the contact would go easy on him the first night. He ran a hand through his hair, stripping out of his uniform as he walked to the bedroom. He dumped them on the floor, heading for the bathroom and starting the water.

Tomorrow, things would be different.

Felix stepped into the shower, letting the cold water run over him. He turned it to the warmer side, setting out to wash his hair.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix woke with a start as the knocking on his front door continued. He pushed himself up from the bed, searching for his phone before letting his hand fall still. He had broken it earlier, leaving himself to wonder what time it was unless he wanted to look at his stove.

He got out of bed, adjusting his pajama pants and headed to the front door. He looked at the peephole, pulling back when he saw a purple haired man.

The man knocked again and Felix sighed, pulling open the door. "Can I help you?" he asked, keeping it partially closed.

The man smiled, offering Felix a small, sweeping bow. Felix heard laughter behind him, his gaze skittering from the man to the child behind him.

"My name is Yuri. My friend here," Yuri took the pause to gesture at the child standing next to him, "thinks you can be useful to us."

Felix watched as the child snaked around Yuri, his hand pushing on the door. "You're going to come home with us, Felix!" He slipped into the house when the gap was big enough, the child's eyes wide.

Felix opened his mouth, glancing up at Yuri. While Edelgard’s details have been vague, he hadn’t expected Yuri to show up at his doorstop.

He was going to meet up with Edelgard, meet Ferdinand personally, then finish out the final details. Get him caught up to what he needed to learn. It would take time to do all of that, however.

"Dima, what have we told you about going into people's homes uninvited?" Yuri asked, stepping into the apartment even as he spoke. He shut the door behind him, blocking Felix's exit unless he ran to the balcony. Dima turned, sticking his tongue out at Yuri.

"It's Felix, Felix doesn't mind! Of course he won't." He turned back to Felix when he said this, his eyes wide. “You don’t mind, do you? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Felix! I couldn’t wait any longer.”

"I... guess I don't." Felix galnced from Dima to Yuri, his blood running cold.

The man studied him, glancing around the apartment. "A little birdie told me you've been having some recent troubles."

"The police are gonna come and take you away, then we can't play." Dima peered at Felix from under his bangs as he said that, his eyes seeming to shimmer.

"Ah, I told you, we aren't going to let your... friend here go to jail." Yuri made a cooing noise at the child, his face brightening.

"That's why I came!" Dima grinned at Felix, reaching out to tug at his hand. "Mother says it's okay if we bring you home! You're going to have so much fun with us, Fe!"

"And who is your mother?" Felix asked.

"Mother is mother. You'll meet her soon enough. Yuri, can we stop for ice cream?" Dima looked over his shoulder, tugging on Felix's hand as he started to walk towards the other man.

Even at eleven, Dimitri had been tall. While Felix was taller than him now, he had enough weight to drag Felix forward a step.

"Dima, you didn't even ask if..." Yuri looked at Felix, raising an eyebrow.

"Felix," Felix supplied.

"You need to ask Felix here if he wants to come with us," Yuri reminded him, "it's only polite."

Dima's smile seemed to slip, his gaze darting to Felix. "Of course Felix will come with us!" The look in Dima’s eyes gave Felix an idea of what would happen if he disagreed.

Felix felt Dima's grip on his hand tighten, the man nodding. "Yes, I will go with you two. Where are we going?"

Yuri gestured towards the closed door, winking at Felix. "We have to take the kid home to his mother."

~*~*~*~*~

Felix sat in the back of the car, his hands on his legs. They had stopped long enough to let Felix put on a shirt and some shoes, though he hadn't been able to put on regular pants with Yuri watching him _like that_. He had been led into the car, Dima insisting that Yuri let Felix sit in the back even as he climbed in himself.

Now, it felt like Felix was traveling in a black hole, the windows were tinted from the inside, preventing him from watching where they were going. And there was the window separating the driver's side and their side rolled up. Dima reached up, pressing on a small light. He turned to Felix, his eyes filled with wonder.

"You're going to enjoy my home! There are a lot of people and they'll do anything to keep me happy!" Dima smiled, though it fell after half a second. "Sometimes, I wonder if they don't really like me."

"I'm sure they do." Felix glanced towards where he knew Yuri was sitting. He had been unable to speak to the man, beyond that first comment and he was frustrated. He wasn't sure if this had been who he was waiting for. They had set up a time to meet in the afternoon.

Dima considered Felix's statement. "I missed you."

Felix glanced at him, pulling a smile to his face. "It's good to see you too, Dima."

"Glenn will be excited! At least, I hope he is. He doesn't do much most days, not unless you tell him to. It's boring. You won't be so boring, right?" Dima’s gaze bore into him and Felix fought the urge to look away.

"No, I should... hope not." Felix cleared his throat, Dima taking that as a cue to keep talking. Felix let himself get lost in the endless stream of noise, responding when Dima paused long enough. The car came to a stop, the back door swinging open as Dima got off the seat.

He smiled at Felix, holding out a hand. "We're at the entrance! This part is always so much fun."

Felix clambered out, meeting Yuri at the sidewalk. They stood before a giant building, Yuri stepping to the side and heading down a dark alley. Dima followed, keeping a tight grip on Felix's wrist. Yuri stopped at a door in the side of the building, putting a key into the lock and Dima giggled.

The door slid open and Yuri stepped in, beckoning the pair to join him. Felix was nearly dragged forward, his head swimming as the hallway lit up with soft lighting, the mirrored hallways running in three directions. Yuri took the path to the left, walking and keeping quiet.

When Felix felt like he had fully lost himself with how far from the door they were, Yuri sank into the floor, Dima giggling before he followed. With a blink, Felix found himself on a slowly sloping floor before it dropped from under him, sending him sliding down the rest of the hill to the bottom and into something soft.

Yuri was already standing, brushing himself off and Dima got up, letting go of Felix's hand for the first time.

Yuri turned to face Felix, spreading his arms. "Welcome to the First Circle of the Underground." He made another sweeping bow, putting on a hat that sat on the seat of a vehicle. "Please step inside and remember to keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times."

Dima patted the section of train bench next to him, Felix sliding in and adjusting himself. Yuri sat in the driver's seat of the car and they took off, hurtling down the mirrored hallway. Instead of silver, the lights lit up gold, sparkling like stars in the distance.

Soon, they passed a train station, Yuri slowing down only to let his words be heard. "Welcome to the Second Circle."

Gold lights changed to blue and Felix shuddered. The Underground was cold, the train moving down the course before they passed a second train station.

"This is the Third Circle."

The lights flipped from blue to red, gleaming like droplets of blood and Felix watched the mirrors reflect back on themselves, trapping them in an endless maze.

He was unprepared for the sudden halting motion of the train, Dima already jumping out of the car to race along the platform. A woman stood at the foot of the stairs, her hands folded over her stomach. She smiled, silver lights gleaming as they reflected off her crown.

Yuri stepped out of the train, bowing before the lady. Felix followed, offering his own impression of the bow, not understanding where his back arm was supposed to be placed.

"Welcome to Garreg Mach Sanctuary. I am delighted to have you in my home."


	9. Complications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the fact that this story was supposed to be a Sylvain/Felix story, and that we're now... nine chapters in and Sylvain hasn't been seen more than once in a flashback, I think that says a lot about my writing.
> 
> But, also, this may change to a Claude/Felix. I dunno. I haven't decided where the fuck this crazy train ride is gonna end up at.
> 
> Revised.

"We have a problem."

Edelgard stepped into Claude's office, placing her hand on the desk.

“Is there a dead body attached to the problem?” Claude asked, blinking up at her from over his cup of coffee.

Ingrid glanced up from where she had been fidgeting with her phone. "What sort of problem?" Her fingers tapped against the edge of the case, her gaze sliding to where Claude had confiscated her lighter.

"Fraldarius is missing."

Claude and Ingrid exchanged a glance. "Wasn't... that the point?" Claude asked, setting his cup down. It had been a slow morning and Claude was convinced he would have to go fetch the book that Ingrid thought was his.

"We were meant to meet up today, discuss final details, give him the needed information. I went to his place and he was gone. Door unlocked, left in a hurry. And this was on the counter, under his broken phone." Edelgard dropped a purple playing card on the table with her free hand. "He knew the plan, what was the point in running?"

Ingrid paled upon seeing the card, flicking her gaze to Edelgard. "That's..."

Claude shook his head. "Felix wouldn't deviate from a plan. Not one that was the safest we could come up with."

"That's Yuri's card." Ingrid reached over, taking the dropped card on the table. The light purple glittered as she looked at the trickster done in gold on one side, flipping it over and studying the back.

"Yuri?" Edelgard asked.

Ingrid nodded. "He's... more or less a friend of mine, from the Underground."

"And you never told us about him?" Edelgard demanded.

"He _helped_ Ashe and me out and his price was keeping his name away from you," Ingrid muttered, "but why would he..."

She got up, pulling open a drawer and fishing for the zippo lighter Claude had stashed there weeks ago. Right after she decided to quit smoking.

"But, if he left his calling card..." She picked up the card, putting the flame in the corner and Edelgard about lunged at her, eyes wide. The flames ate at the card, words revealing themselves in gold on the blank side.

Four lines of text appeared on the card, Ingrid turning it sideways to read.

"Evening, the prince used the bird to collect the cat."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Edelgard demanded.

"Well, the prince refers to... uhm, Dima. The bird is Yuri, in this case. And I guess the cat would mean Felix." Ingrid set the card down, watching the gold letters fade once more. “It’s a pretty detailed message for being so simple.”

"Explain." Edelgard sat down, placing her hands in her lap. "Right now, we have a missing detective who was supposed to meet myself and Ferdinand today to go over details for an undercover operation. Last night, this Yuri showed up because of some... prince? And he took Felix to the Underground?"

Ingrid felt Claude's gaze on her, her own dropping to the table as she traced the patterns in the grain. "I'm not... too clear on what Dima is, but they uh. Well, they call him the prince because he's always hanging around the center. He's uhm..." She glanced back at the corkboard, finding the picture of Lambert.

"Yes?" Edelgard pressed.

"He's the dead spirit of Dimitri Blaiddyd?" Ingrid winced as she said the words, glancing away from Edelgard. "Before Dimitri died, we were friends. When I went... Underground to try and find Sylvain, he saw me, I guess. The generals do their best to keep this kid happy and, to some extent, so do those in the Center and the Third Circle. Because, when he's not happy he's uhm... murder happy?"

"They keep a dead kid happy because otherwise... he'll murder people?" Claude asked, his gaze blank as he stared at Ingrid.

“This isn’t some fantasy novel, Galatea.” Edelgard’s voice was hard, her gaze sharp.

Ingrid let out a huff, meeting Edelgard’s stare. "It's like, when he's mad, he's seven feet tall, all wild like a Norse Berserker. Completely uncontrollable. It's easier to keep the kid happy than deal with a rampaging monster. But, he saw me in the Second Circle and threw a fit until I was brought to the... well, I'm not sure who Lady Rhea is, exactly. Only that she resides in the Center. She insisted that I spend time with Dima."

Edelgard straightened, narrowing her eyes. "And you didn't think we needed to be told about this?"

Ingrid opened her mouth, shooting Claude a glare when he snorted.

"Come on, a child that turns into a monster? Who would believe that?" Claude asked, shaking his head. "That's the weirdest story I've heard about the Underground yet. And I've heard a lot of strange stories."

"Magic is real, Riegan." Ingrid's voice was cold, her eyes narrowed. "Sylvain, Felix, and I all knew that Dimitri was dead. But, there he was, as his eleven year old self, watching the Underground with childlike wonder. The first time someone tried to hurt me with Dima around, they didn't survive. Also, I was on a lot of… substances and it sounded crazy to me, okay? How could I present anything like that as factual evidence? You would have laughed me right off the force."

Edelgard took a seat, looking at the card. "There’s still nothing to prove that you are right. And what about this Yuri? How do you know him?"

"He's a friend. One of the generals. Trust me, if the prince wanted something, they would have bent over backwards to get it to him. Otherwise, they probably would be dead." Ingrid shifted, Edelgard standing up.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?" Ingrid asked, getting up to follow. Claude marked his place in his book, Edelgard glancing back at them.

"We have to tell your cap-"

"Where the fuck is Fraldarius?"

"-tain before she finds out." Edelgard glanced over at Catherine, who now stood in their doorway. The day had barely started, but already Claude could feel it wear at him.

"Finds out about what?" Catherine growled.

"Felix Fraldarius is missing. The plan to implant him in the Underground has gone astray. As you know, he put in the request several different times, last year. The fallout between himself and the police had been fabricated." Edelgard gestured towards the papers on the table, all copies of what Ingrid had given to Catherine.

"The Blaiddyd files-" Catherine began.

"Were received from his father, Rodrigue Fraldarius," Claude commented, "we didn't break into any sealed records to get them. Well, he didn't break into… I definitely didn’t break into anything."

Catherine stared at Edelgard. "And where is he now?"

"We believe he's in the Underground." Edelgard stressed the word believe, meeting Catherine’s gaze.

"Believe? If you had set this all up-" Catherine began.

"I was going to bring him to meet my contact and get him into the Underground today. Then come in and catch you up to speed. Fabricating the fallout between himself and the police department was a much more solid defense than sending him under with an alias." Edelgard regained her composure as she spoke, keeping her voice even. "However, he was picked up sometime during the night, though not by myself or any of my contacts.'

"So you don't know for sure where he is."

"Ah, the... collector? Left a calling card." Claude picked it up, handing the purple card to Catherine. "We believe it's the card of one of the generals of the Underground."

Catherine threw her hands up in frustration. "Is there anything else you aren't telling me?" She pinned her stare on the three people in front of her, Edelgard frowning.

"There are many details that are held in my confidence that I am not at liberty to share with you, Captain. For now, I will have my contact keep an eye out for Fraldarius and, once we can confirm he is in the Underground, I will update you,” Edelgard promised.

"If I lose Felix over this-" Catherine began, pointing a finger at Edelgard. “I knew something about that report sounded fishy. I was thinking Galatea here wanted a permanent position in the department and framed Felix.”

"I am truly sorry for the deception. He did speak to you about wanting to go under, on several different occasions. Even once about three weeks ago." Edelgard stated. Catherine hesitated before she nodded. "And you approved us coming in to help with the Crest Carver case. Once this clears up, we will clear his name and set everything back to being right."

"And if he doesn't come back from the Underground?" Catherine demanded.

"Then he'll probably come back to us in a body bag, if not end up on the board behind us." Edelgard gestured to the Crest murders. "He was right, it was the Underground doing this. One of the inner rings, the innermost ring in fact. I don't know what their goal is but-"

"What if they're trying to... resurrect people?" Ingrid asked, her voice soft.

"Why kill them in the first place?" Claude asked, looking at Ingrid. “If they were already alive…” Ingrid shot him a look, shaking her head.

Catherine sighed, meeting Edelgard's gaze. "Fine, fine. You win. This case can be transferred to your department, but you're taking these two idiots with you. And if I hear of _anymore_ of my people going Underground for this-" Catherine warned.

"Thank you. It should have been my task force's case originally."

Claude opened his mouth, looking from Edelgard to Catherine. He considered the possibilities, scratching the side of his head.

"You work out of this office, though."

"Very well." Edelgard turned, looking at the board once more. "Hubert will be joining us on this investigation, once he finishes speaking with our contact. Any questions?"

Ingrid and Claude shared a look, Catherine walking out of the office with a grumble.

"Yeah, just what the hell happened?" Claude asked.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix stared up at the looming building in front of him, Dima still at his side. He moved forward one step, the woman giving him a look that stilled him.

"Dima, you know you aren't supposed to leave the Sanctuary." The woman turned her gaze to the child, her mouth pulling into the small hints of a frown. A man with green hair stood to her right, while another man, his face blank, stood to her left.

Dima made a face, glancing away.

"I apologize for the disturbance, Dima can be... a bit peculiar when he gets certain ideas into his head. I am Lady Rhea, and these are my head officers, Seteth and Byleth." The woman first gestured to the man on her right, then the one on her left. She turned her gaze to Yuri. "Mr. Leclerc, I would like to discuss something with you, after you have shown our guest around the Sanctuary."

"Can I go with Felix?" Dima asked, his eyes glittering as Rhea nodded.

He grinned up at Felix, reaching out to take his hand again. Yuri gestured, Dima skipping alongside Felix. they walked up the stairs of the sanctuary, the gate lifting to allow them to enter.

Felix took in the halls, surprised to find no additional mirrors along the walls.

"What is this place?" Felix asked, his voice low. The silence around them was deafening. Their footsteps echoed and Yuri glanced backwards.

"The Sanctuary, the center of the Underground."

"This is the only place that's not circular." Dima looked up at Felix, smiling once more.

Felix frowned at him.

"The outer circles, which we passed through, are set up as defensive rings around the Center. You'll find... all sorts of types in those circles. Here, in the Sanctuary, the generals live. We have homes in their corresponding Circles as well. You'll be meeting the rest of the generals at dinner, more than likely,” Yuri explained.

"Mother likes doing family dinners." Dima states this in a whisper, glancing at Felix. "I think they're boring. We do them nightly."

"How old are you?" Felix asked, looking at Dima.

The child blinked up at him, tilting his head. "I'm eleven."

"This," Yuri said, pulling Felix's attention away from Dima, "is the Cathedral."

Felix looked up at the room they had entered. The glass stained windows glimmered, the floor was marble. He blinked, Yuri letting him take it in.

"I don't like this place much," Dima admitted, voice low. His gaze swept to the center of the cathedral, with a crest carved into the ground. Felix took a step towards it, Dima's grip tightening on his hand. He stopped, Yuri shaking his head.

"This place is only used when Lady Rhea has her ceremonies or sermons. Otherwise, no one comes in here." Yuri turned, heading down a hall and onto another path. The silver lights shined overhead, flicking on as they walked further and turning off behind them.

Dima stepped closer to Felix, their footsteps soft when they should have been echoing. Yuri led them past more statues in alcoves, coming to a room with soft lighting and couches.

"This is one of the common gathering areas. Anyone from the Third Circle and any general is welcome in the Sanctuary. Most members of the Underground don't get past the Second Circle."

"How do you tell the difference?" Felix asked, wanting to rub at his head. He was starting to get a headache, the meandering paths confusing to him. Yuri glanced back, smiling.

"Each Circle has a different color associated with it. Anyone wearing red is from the Third Circle. Anyone that has silver-" he indicated part of his shirt, the silver badge gleaming in the light, "is a general. Anyone wearing blue is the second circle and gold is the first circle."

"Anyone with gold or blue isn't allowed in the Sanctuary." Dima rolled his eyes. "The rules are stupid."

"You aren't wearing a badge," Felix pointed out.

"There are... special circumstances. Dima, Seteth, and Byleth are in those categories. They are close to Lady Rhea, therefore the Underground knows who they are. They don't need to wear special colors because of that." Yuri smiled, meeting Felix’s gaze. His eyes glinted, Felix taking in a breath at the unease that danced along his skin.

Dima wrinkled his nose, glancing at Yuri. "We aren't that special..."

They had continued walking, past the common rooms and into something that reminded Felix of apartments, doors set into walls, each with a number and symbol.

"How many generals are there?" Felix asked.

"I believe there's nine or ten of us right now. Sometimes there's more and sometimes there are less. It all depends on the time."

"There's nine."

Felix nodded at Dima, keeping his gaze on Yuri. Yuri stopped at one such apartment, considering. "Dima's room is to the left of this one. I believe this would be the best place for Felix to stay, what do you think, Dima?"

The door to the left of Felix had the crest of Blaiddyd carved in it.

Dima's eyes lit up, the child letting go of Felix's hands. "Then I can have both my friends here! All I'm missing is..." he trailed off, glancing at Felix. "You aren't going to leave me, are you?"

Felix shook his head, glancing at Yuri in panic. "No, I'm not."

Dima relaxed, letting his gaze drop. "Ingrid left me. She was mean. You aren't allowed to leave. If you leave, I'll get angry."

"We wouldn't want that," Yuri murmured, "and Felix isn't going to leave."

Felix nodded, meeting Yuri's gaze with his own panicked one. Yuri just smiled.

"Dima, why don't you go see if the kitchens have anything ready to eat? Breakfast should be ready soon and we did wake our friend up in the middle of the night. I'm sure he's hungry."

Dima hesitated, glancing at Felix. "But-"

"I would be very happy if you got me food," Felix responded, "and then we can eat breakfast together."

Dima considered the words, nodding before he ran off. Yuri opened the apartment, jestering Felix inside. Once they were in, he shut the door, pressing his palm to it and muttered under his breath.

Felix tilted his head as the sounds seemed to stop, glancing at Yuri. He raised one finger, the seconds passing before he nodded. "We have five minutes before the silence spell wears off and Dima is back here with food."

"What the hell?" Felix struggled to get his thoughts in order, glancing at the door. "I thought there were... plans and more stuff to do today before I went down. You aren’t-"

"I don't know anything about that and don’t tell me anything you know." Yuri held up a hand, interrupting Felix with a shake of his head. "Dima has been... looking for you, apparently. And, when he found you and started leaving the Underground without permission, to try and get to you, I told him I would get you down here. Were you planning on coming down anyway?"

Felix opened his mouth, closing it. "There were other plans. But, that aside, perhaps you know Ingrid?” His stomach turned as Yuri’s eyes brightened. He wondered what had become of his friends after he and Rodrigue had left Fodlan City.

"Ingrid became a good friend of mine while she was down here and entertaining Dima. I don't know anything about why you were going to come down here, only that... something happened and Dima was worried that you were going to get hurt. Rhea probably wouldn't have allowed it if... Dima wasn't. Dima."

"What happens when he gets angry?"

"The Blaiddyd spirit manifests."

Felix looked at him, Yuri letting out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Dima becomes... well, a monster, of a sorts. He... the Blaiddyd spirit manifests. He grows older. Colder, angry. He kills people with his bare hands. We try to avoid making him angry."

"But, he's... just a little kid?" Felix glanced at the door. The image of Dimitri, bulky and towering in the hallway, came back to him. "He died. In two thousand and three. What is he doing down here?"

"That little kid was resurrected, somehow. I don't... understand everything that goes on here. Just, some of our duties are to keep Dima happy. If you make him happy, that makes it easier for us to... do our own thing. Rhea will at least acknowledge that. You being down here... I don't know why you planned on coming down or who was going to help you, but you're down here now," Yuri hesitated, "and I left a calling card. If you do know Ingrid and she sees it, she'll understand what it means."

Felix wanted to say more but Dima opened the door, carrying a tray of food in one hand. He smiled at Felix, heading towards the table in the dining room.

"The cooking staff were more than happy to give me food! Even better, it's sausage and french toast today! And orange juice." Dima put the tray down, taking off the cover to reveal the three meals. "Yuri is going to eat with us today, right?"

Yuri nodded. "Of course I'll eat with you. Thank you for inviting me." Yuri rolled his eyes at Felix when Dima wasn't paying attention, taking his seat at the table.

"You're welcome!" Dima responded, sitting down as well. Felix joined them, looking at Yuri.

"What... should I do about clothing?"

Yuri let out a hum. "I'll send someone over to help with that. Her name is Hapi. Her and Constance are the resident fashion experts. Or, at least the ones that care enough to help. Usually, once someone has made it clear that they want to be part of the Underground, they move from the fringes to the Gold Circle. If they prove they can be useful with weapons, they move to the Blue Circle. If they can perform magic, they are summoned to the Red Circle."

"And I skipped these steps because-" Felix began, frowning.

"You're my friend!" Dima stated as he cut his french toast. "If you're my friend, you belong with me."

Yuri nodded at Dima. "Dima is also known as the prince. He is Lady Rhea's child."

"I... see..."

"I'll show you the aviary later!" Dima commented. "The birds are gorgeous! We also have dogs! And there's a pond that you can fish at. And another pond that you can swim in! And-" Dima paused to take a bite of food, "and then you can meet my other friends!" he finished once he swallowed.

"I would also like to introduce you to the other generals, so they know who you are and that you're okay to be in the sanctuary. Do you have any weapon training?" Yuri asked.

Felix nodded. "I'm pretty decent with a sword."

"We have training grounds, if you want to practice. Dima here prefers to work with lances."

"They give you more reach," Dima commented.

"What do you fight with?" Felix asked.

Yuri smiled. "Swords, mostly. We don't use guns often in the Underground. Some of the Fringe does, but anyone in the Circles doesn't."

Felix nodded. "Good to know."

"I'm glad you're here. You're safe now," Dima said, looking at Felix.

Felix nodded. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Of course!" Dima smiled, settling back down to finish eating.


	10. Dead Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this early ad i plan on spending my day offline tomorrow, working on the rihgh draft of this.
> 
> Ayywho, 20k in and I think we've started to get past the surface setup.
> 
> So, at this point. as of 5/22, I got the solid beginning down. I've drafted up the ending and.
> 
> To be quite honest, I'm struggling to connect the first half with the ending. So. Yeah. I'm hoping that, by fleshing out the ending, I can figure out what the fuck happens in the middle. Expect some Sylvain/Felix, angst, more death. And who knows what else.
> 
> Revised

"So, what do we do?" Claude asked Edelgard.

The woman glanced over her shoulder, shaking her head. "I suppose we wait to see. We have no way of contacting Felix. I don’t suppose we have a way to contact this Yuri, do we?"

Ingrid looked down at the table, shaking her head. "Yuri wanted to stay out of your mess."

Edelgard scoffed. "Mess, right." She went back to looking at the board. "Ingrid, is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Ingrid shook her head. "I mean... I was in the Center a lot because of Dima. But, I don't know anything else. He referred to Rhea as his mother. He was happy to murder people with his bare hands when he didn't get his way. Trust me, a lot of my time there was spent... keeping him happy. When I was around, most of the other generals avoided me."

Edelgard nodded, considering the possibilities. "If they think of Dima as... the prince, is it possible that Rhea is the leader?"

"Maybe?" Ingrid questioned. "She was... weird."

"Weird how?" Edelgard asked.

Ingrid sighed, glancing at the door. It was near noon now and they were waiting for Hubert and Ferdinand to show up. Claude had his head on the desk and the bottle of whiskey was sitting on another one of the desks.

"She was always talking about _her_ mother, this sort of... goddess figure. A being who came from the Blue Sea Star. She would speak as if... this figure was the whole reason for her existence. Maybe she's just some crazy lady who lives in the Underground," Ingrid muttered.

Edelgard sat down, uncapping the whiskey. "Do you have any other glasses?"

Claude got up, finding the clean glasses and passed her one. She poured a shot, lifting it up and tilting it towards Ingrid.

"Thank you for keeping all of this away from our task force, Galatea. You have now made this more complicated than it needed to be."

Ingrid opened her mouth, shutting it and looking away. "That wasn't my intention. You wanted facts. That... sounds like a load of bullshit to me. Also, do you know how many drugs I was on while I was down there?"

"Yes, I am aware of that.” Edelgard met her gaze.

“Information aside, does this mean that we can mark the Underground down as more of a religious cult than a gang?" Claude asked, "if... Rhea is the ringleader."

"Oh, you actually have a brain in that skull of yours, Riegan?" Edelgard grumped, setting her cup down. "Good of you to join the conversation."

"Hey, I have been participating, thank you very much!" Claude snapped.

"Enough," Ingrid sighed, rubbing at her temples. She had passed on the shots when Claude had decided he needed something. "arguing will get us nowhere."

"For once, you are correct. Arguing will get us nowhere." Ingrid snorted at that while Edelgard studied the pair. "What can you tell me about Felix?"

"He's hotheaded, but he won't do anything without good reason. He keeps his thoughts to himself when the situation calls for it, but he's not afraid to tear into someone if he needs to. He's the walking definition of contradictory." Claude shifted, looking towards Ingrid. "If the Prince showed up at the door, looking like eleven year old Dimitri, would he have gone willingly?"

Ingrid looked down at the glasses, placing her hands in her lap. "When we were younger, Felix would have done anything for Dimitri." She ignored the shot glass that was pushed towards her, her face settled into a frown. "Felix... as I remember him, was a crybaby. He was always trying to get Sylvain to play with us, despite Sylvain being older and clearly... crushing on Felix's brother. Sylvain humored us. After Felix found the Blaiddyds-"

"Wait, he found the Blaiddyds?" Claude asked. "I thought he just found the files?"

Ingrid nodded, giving Claude an annoyed look. "We had plans to go play for the day. He was upset because Dimitri was taking too long. Went to their house. Lambert... well, he had a key in a planter for any of us kids who wanted to come stay the night or wanted to drop by and surprise Dimitri. He trusted us that much. Felix used the key, walked in. Went upstairs and then... came out screaming bloody murder."

"So, he didn't see the case files when he was thirteen," Claude murmured.

"And he wanted to go down to the Underground?" Edelgard demanded. "Was any of this in his file when he started with the department?"

Ingrid and Claude shared a glance. "I have done a great deal of many things in my life, but I've never looked at someone else's file for their history. I lost contact with Felix after he and Rodrigue moved away. I haven't seen or heard from him until I transferred here."

Edeglard glanced at Claude.

"Felix wouldn't tell me anything about this past. I only know some of this because of Ingrid. Dude's tighter than a-" Claude shut his mouth, deciding to think better of that sentence. Edelgard raised an eyebrow, Claude shaking his head. "He's not one for sharing."

She nodded, her frown growing. "This is proving to be... difficult."

"I don't think anything will ever be easy if Felix is involved," Ingrid muttered.

Claude shifted in his seat, studying Ingrid. "I'm learning that."

"Edelgard."

The woman looked up at the man standing in the doorway, his face set in a harsh grimace. Edelgard nodded at him. "This is Hubert. Hubert, this is Claude von Riegan. You already know Ingrid."

Hubert shifted his glance from Edelgard to Claude, raising his eyebrow. Another man waltzed into the room, edging past Hubert even with his gaze glued to his phone.

"And this is Ferdinand," Hubert said with a gesture to the man. "I take it something went wrong?"

"Oh, you could say that," Edelgard commented, "Ingrid kept some... interesting details from us over the years."

Ingrid glowered, getting up and grabbing the whiskey. "Interesting, right. Hey, Edelgard, did I tell you about the crazy lady who wants to resurrect her dead mother and keeps a kid that's technically dead hanging around?"

Hubert blinked, looking from Edelgard to Ingrid. "We deal in facts, Galatea."

"Yep, facts." Ingrid’s hand twitched towards the glass before she looked away. "And this dead kid can turn into a monster when he's upset? It's so great to watch him crush a man's skull in with his bare hand. I watched him do it to two people at once. Just, 'pop'." Ingrid made the word pop, tapping her finger against the table.

She moved to pour herself a shot, Claude getting up and taking the bottle from her hand. "You already said that you didn’t want to drink. And I don’t think Felix will appreciate us drinking _all_ of his whiskey.."

“I’ll ensure that we replace the bottle,” Edelgard promised, holding out her glass for another drink. Claude shrugged, pouring her a glass.

"What delusion fantasties-" Hubert began.

"Oh..." Ferdinand looked up, glancing between Claude and Ingrid. "That would explain why the Bird and the Prince left so early this morning. One of the sentinels informed me."

Edeglard looked at him. "Okay, why does everyone _but_ us know about the prince?" she demanded.

Ferdinand had the decency to look guilty. "That... I found out recently and I hadn't been able to get in contact with you. I have been spending more time with Constance Nuvelle in hopes of finding out more information about the Center. The sential I spoke with has an interest in Constance, so I've been able to chat them up a bit to get extra information."

Ingrid had slumped in her seat, her arms covering her head. "This is going to go so badly."

"Oh, come on, have faith that Fraldarius will be okay," Claude suggested.

Ferdinand paled. "F... Fraldarius?"

"Yeah."

"But..."

"Spit it out," Edeglard sighed.

Ferdinand shook his head, looking at Ingrid.

"Felix Fraldarius is Glenn Fraldarius's younger brother," Ingrid muttered, "Glenn Fraldarius was thought to have committed suicide in two thousand three. And don’t give me that look, I know what you are going to say, Ferdinand, and I don’t appreciate it."

"And that's important why?" Hubert demanded.

"Because Glenn Fraldarius is... well, alive?" Ferdinand asked.

Ingrid shook her head. "That _thing_ is not Glenn! It may wear his face, but it's not... him. It’s not."

"Start from the beginning," Hubert demanded.

"There's like..." Ingrid hesitated, glancing from Edelgard to Hubert. "The... Dima... he isn't the only dead... thing that... she keeps around."

"Dead thing?" Hubert inquired, glancing at Edelgard. She lifted one shoulder, her gaze set on Ingrid. “Explain.”

Ingrid nodded, shifting in her seat and she looked away from Hubert, staring at the desk. "When I first went Underground, I was looking for Sylvain Gautier. I had heard... well, he had disappeared when I was thirteen. He was an old friend and he was the _last_ friend that I had from my childhood. It took a while, but I managed to make it to the second circle, which is where... Dima saw me. When he saw me, he demanded that I be taken to him. I was twenty one, maybe twenty two? I had heard a bit about Sylvain, but I never really got a hold of him. Well, Dima lives in the Center and that's where I ran into Sylvain again, since he lived in the third circle and could visit the center. He was... angry that I was down there, but couldn't exactly be _that_ angry."

"Did you ever see anything to do with the Crest Carver?" Claude asked.

Ingrid shook her head. "That mess started after I left. When I was down there, I saw... some pretty messed up things. At first, I thought Dima just... looked like Dimitri. That it was actually some eleven year old kid that was favored. But, he never... changed. Until he got mad, then it was like a whole shift overtook him. He was... older, angry. Wore armour and a furred cloak and was missing an eye.Looked more like Lambert. Killed a man with his bare hands. I saw... Fraldarius once, when he was following Dima around. The kid was talking to him, but he kept switching up the names, wanting to get a rise out of him. He would call him Felix, then get angry when he didn't say anything." Ingrid swallowed, pressing her hands to her thighs. "The second to last time I saw... Fraldarius, Dima had torn him apart. The next day, he was fine but Dima refused to talk about him."

"And then?" Hubert demanded, his voice soft.

"Ashe and I got out.You decided it was too dangerous to send me back. I gave you all the information I had. That I thought was the most important," Ingrid whispered, "I never realized..."

"Magic." Hubert sneered the word, his lip curling. He looked at Edelgard, the woman closing her eyes.

Ferdinand nodded along, his eyes distant. "They rarely leave the Center. I know of them, but that has only been thanks to Constance. It is why I wanted to speak with you before the meeting today."

"Does this change things?" Claude inquired.

"Your friend may be in a lot more danger that we thought he would be in, given this information." Edelgard sat back, glancing at Claude and Ingrid.

"I suppose that's why our plans changed?" Ferdinand asked, hopeful.

"Yes, you have more time before you need to be back under and you're not taking anyone down with you." Edelgard waved her hand, Ferdinand's eyes lighting up. He glanced at Hubert, the man nodding and glancing at his watch.

"I will be back after lunch. Edelgard," he nodded at her, turning and leaving the room. Ferdinand followed, Claude watching the pair.

He turned back to Edelgard, the woman letting out a hum. "Ingrid."

Ingrid picked her head up, blinking tears out of her eyes.

"It's understandable why you wouldn't want to share any of that with us," Edelgard murmured., "and I know how hard you struggled when you returned to the surface. I'm not angry with you. Does Ashe know any of this?"

Ingrid shook her head. "I... I never told him, because I didn't want him to know. It was... my way of keeping him safe. He never left the second circle. He still doesn't know. I told some of it to Felix and Claude because, well..." she frowned, "they needed to know what they were getting into."

"Do you know if this kid shows up on recordings?" Claude asked.

Ingrid shrugged. "Electronics aren't really a thing in the Underground."

"Right, with their tendency to lay more in the... old fashion."

"What does this mean for Felix?" Claude asked.

Edelgard looked at him. "It means that we have to wait and see what happens. Ingrid, are you able to get in touch with Yuri?"

Ingrid shook her head. "No. That's another reason I never told you about him. He is not a viable contact. He... was raised in the Underground."

Edelgard nodded. "And with no way to get in touch..."

"Would Ferdinand be able to look for him?" Claude asked.

"He would have to have a really good reason..." Edelgard let out a hum. "I'll speak to him once he's finished his date. If he has been working with one of the other generals, it is possible that he will be able to at least confirm that Felix is well."

"If it is Yuri, Felix will be in decent hands."

"Nothing we can do about it now." Edelgard gestured to the whiskey bottle, placing her cup down on the table. "I'll make sure we replace it," she added when Claude gave her a look. "Ingrid, if there is anything else you are keeping from us."

"No, that was it. But, again, I thought... with everything else that was being done... I really did-"

Edelgard held up a hand. "It's understandable. And I can see where those concerns would make you question what you saw."

Ingrid nodded, her fingers drumming against the desk.

"I would like you to write up an official report. I won't submit it, but I do want this information for our records."

Ingrid sighed. "I'll work on it tonight."

Claude looked between the pair. "What do we do now?" he asked.

"I suppose we wait to see if there will be a new victim. You say you've been getting bodies once a month?"

Claude nodded. "There has been... two strange incidents where the murderer stopped for some time. But-"

Ingrid went still, her breathing going harsh. Edelgard looked at her, getting up and saying something. Claude lifted a hand to his ear, the sharp buzzing hum growing sharper. The card on the table exploded, Edelgard jerking back as it burned her hand.

Claude was kneeling next to Ingrid on the floor, the woman staring up at the ceiling. He shouted over his shoulder, Edelgard staring in horror as Ingrid convulsed.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix sat in the furnished apartment, staring at the wall. Yuri had managed to pry Dima from the apartment, reminding him that Felix had been up earlier and that there were things to do. Dima had tried to protest, but he had eventually agreed, promising Felix that he would be back.

The promise had left the taste of dread in Felix's mouth. A clock read that it was nearing the afternoon but he still hadn't-

He got up as there was a knock on his door, making his way over to it. He opened it, blinking at the woman before him.

"You must be the new arrival!" She swept into the apartment, a second woman following her with a roll of her eyes. "My name is Constance Nuvelle and this is Hapi! We're here to get you clothing."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Yuri mentioned you might be stopping by."

"Oh hoy, and did he tell you about me?" Constance asked, a grin crossing her features, her eyes lighting up.

Felix raised an eyebrow. "He said he'd send Hapi over, but didn't really mention you."

Constance's face settled into a scowl, Hapi nudging her. "Come on now, Yuri probably didn't want to scare the poor kid off from meeting you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Constance demanded, turning to her friend.

Hapi shook her head, opening her mouth before she closed it. "Anyway, we're here because we heard you need clothes."

Felix nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes, I suppose that is true."

"Well, what are your measurements?" Constance asked, stepping closer to Felix. "You would look good in light colors, contrast with that hair, with hints of dark, to Show off your eyes and mmm..."

Felix took another step back from Constance. "I'm like, a large in shirts and-"

"Oh no, we're going to make you some real clothes. None of those box store brands. You're in the Sanctuary, you have to look the part." Constance placed her hands on her hips, her eyes gleaming. "You must stand out, even in a crowd. People need to know you can't be messed with..."

Hapi gave Felix an apologetic look. "We can also get you regular clothing and you are welcome to ignore everything Coco says."

"Fine."

Constance looked up at Felix.

"If you want to... make clothes, whatever. I don't care," Felix muttered.

Hapi just shook her head. “You might want to be careful about what you say to her."

"No, he already gave me permission. I can't wait to get started. Oh, I have just the patterns and colors in mind. I will need measurements-"

Constance pulled a tape measure from her pocket, eyes gleaming in satisfaction. Felix stared off into the distance as the woman took what she needed, Hapi repeating the numbers back to her while she wrote them down. Constance took the list and was off, leaving Felix alone with Hapi.

"Really, if you want regular clothing, just let me know. Constance can get... a little excited with how Rhea wants her Sanctuary to be set up and look. All old time renaissance. I mean, you get used to it after a while but..." Hapi shrugged, gesturing to her own clothing.

Felix nodded. "Yet, you use fridges and clocks and lights."

Hapi smiled. "There are some things that even she can't disagree with. The lower you are in the circles, the more relaxed they are about electronics. Phones don't work down here, however. And the lights are more magic than electric. Anyway, I'm Hapi. Constance didn’t give me a chance to talk."

Felix took her hand when she held it out, shaking it.

"Why are you down here?"

Felix puzzled at the question, looking up at Hapi. "You know, I don't know anymore. I was sleeping, woke up to a knock on my door and... Yuri was standing there with Dima. Then, I'm down here and suddenly, I'm Dima's best friend and I'm down here because he wants me to be."

Hapi nodded, a frown crossing her face. "Dima can be dangerous, I'd watch out for him if I were you." She stepped closer, inclining her head. "Rhea doesn't like electronics, they mess with magic. When things get too close together, they tend to explode. Fridges and lights are different to some extent, I guess. Electricity running through things, rather than being stored? I don't know why Yuri had to be the one to bring you here..."

"Trust me, I wish I knew."

"So, detective, what are you looking for?"

Felix froze, glancing at Hapi. She smiled at him, brushing hair out of her face. A circlet glinted in the light, Felix dragging his attention to that before looking back at her.

"Your hand keeps drifting to your waist, as if you're looking for the hilt of something. If you really want to look the part and give reason for it, start wearing a sword. It'll at least give your hand somewhere to rest."

Felix snatched his hand away, curling it into a fist. He was unsettled, watching as Hapi studied him. "There had been... a falling out between myself and the Fodlan police department. Probably would have gone to jail myself if... Dima didn't show up."

He hesitated over the name, remembering his friend and the double funeral he had attended, days before Glenn had gone missing. Felix had been distraught and it had only grown worse when his brother had vanished.

Hapi nodded. "Well, did you get a full tour of the place or did they just show you to your room?"

Felix shook his head. "Dima mentioned there were more places he wanted to show me, but Yuri was quick to remind him that he had things to attend to. Then Yuri told me to stay here and he left."

Hapi nodded. "I know a few generals are out and about right now, but we can see who's hanging around and have you meet them. Constance is one, but she's about as harmless as they come, for the generals. Don't let her drag you into her experiments. They never... turn out quite right."

Felix nodded. "Good to know. Is there anything else I should know?"

Hapi considered the question. "People are going to wonder why you get special treatment."

"How is this special treatment? I was practically kidnapped from my apartment and dragged down here because of some kid." Felix pointed out.

Hapi nodded at him. "And that's the point. You’re here _because_ of the Prince. People are going to see that as special treatment. A lot of people up here had to work for it, but you get to just waltz in and here you are. No fuss or hassle. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of the Prince either. He's... unstable. If you have to be seen in public, make sure-"

Her sentence was cut off as Yuri breezed into the apartment, a stack of clothing in his hand. He glanced from Felix to Hapi, a smile on his face.

"I passed Constance in the hallway. These should work until she's finished doing whatever she's doing." He held out the stack of clothes, Felix taking them.

"Should I expect you to just burst through the door whenever it pleases you?"

Yuri smiled and gave him a sweeping bow. "I heard Hapi's voice, figured you wouldn't be doing anything that you wouldn't mind me walking in on."

Hapi narrowed her eyes at Yuri. "It's still impolite for you to do that, you know. At least use common courtesy."

"Of course, of course. I won't do it again." Yuri turned to Felix, his face growing stern. "Now that Lady Rhea is done with her tongue lashing of me, she wishes to speak to you."

Felix looked at him. "Why would she be upset at you?"

"My first job is to keep the prince happy. Fetching you meant he would be unlikely to do it himself. He has been.... unruly the past few months and he has been caught sneaking back to the Underground. He's not supposed to be up on the surface. Too many questions about why an eleven year old kid is on his own. Of course, Dima doesn't quite understand that. He just knew you were in danger and he wanted you down here so bad. I couldn't let him go on his own." Yuri brushed hair out of his face, looking Felix over. "And it does help that you are quite pretty to look at."

Felix rolled his eyes.

"Now, if you'll get changed, I'll take you to Lady Rhea."

Felix looked down at the clothes in his hand, turning and walking into the bedroom. He could hear the other two whisper back and forth, their words too low to make out. He changed quickly, finding that the shirt sleeves were a little long, but the pants fit well enough. He pulled his shoes back on, walking out.

Hapi looked away, shaking her head at Yuri. Yuri glances Felix over, a smile pulling at his lips.

"Remind me to lend you more of my clothes."

Felix scowls, crossing his arms over his chest. The shoulders were just a little too tight, but he could deal with it. "Are we ready to go?"

Yuri nodded. "See you later, Hapi."

Hapi nodded, following the pair out of the room. They continued down the hallway, Hapi several steps behind them, but they finally parted ways.


	11. Conversations*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter of just conversations.
> 
> Major Revisions.
> 
> (I kept forgetting that they were supposed to, ya know, actually talk to Hanneman as he was Linhardt's main colleague. And, you know, I also forgot to revise the whole damn thing anyway)

Yuri led Felix back to the entrance, towards the cathedral. Where they had gone left before, now he takes him right, leading him through the grand hall and into a courtyard, the lights illuminating the yard, their false promises of sun enough for the grass and flowers to grow. Felix stops, taking in the gardens.

"If you think this is impressive," Yuri drawled, "I can't wait to show you the greenhouse."

Felix shook himself, continuing down the hall. They reached a pair of stairs, Felix blinking upwards. "Yuri?"

"Hmm?" The man stopped glancing back at Felix. He was already at the first curve of the circular staircase, his eyes full of light.

"Just how... big is the Underground?" Felix hurried to catch up, feeling his breath catch in his throat. The walls were marble, smooth under his touch but the banister that ran along the wall was smoothed wood.

Yuri considered the question. "Equal to the size of Fodlan City, if not larger than the city."

"Holy fuck. And... there's only one entrance to... all of this?" Felix asked.

Yuri laughed at that. "Oh, there are multiple entrances, but you'd never be able to find them. The fringes of the Underground are still mainly above ground, you know. We used the back entrance."

“Do all your back entrances have little railroads to drive you to different circles?”

Yuri laughed. “No, only the main entrance.”

He ended the conversation there, continuing up the staircase until they stepped into a hall. It was brighter up here, the ceiling showing blue sky and clouds, though it looked like it was closer to evening than midday.

Felix's head was swimming as they stepped into the hallway, Yuri holding up a hand. He walked to the massive wooden doors, knocking and taking a step back.

"Enter."

The doors swung open at the simple word, Yuri gesturing for Felix to step forward.

Felix looked back at him, his arms still crossed over his chest. Seeing this place had his mind racing.

"Ah, I am not needed for this matter. Go on, you'll be fine."

Felix swallowed, stepping past the doors. As soon as he was clear, they swung shut. Felix looked at the room, his footsteps echoing before he stopped, meeting the gaze of Rhea.

She smiled, gesturing for Felix to follow her. They headed into a small room, a table set up with various foods and a teapot.

"Good evening, Felix. I am pleased that you have accepted my invitation for tea."

Felix nodded, watching as Rhea sat in one chair. He sat when she settled, looking across the table. "I don't know why I'm here."

Rhea nodded, bowing her head. "You have been a spot of sadness for the young Prince. He always spoke so fondly of you."

"Is he… is he really Dimitri Blaiddyd?" It took him too long to get the sentence out, to get it validated.

Rhea looked up, blinking at Felix. "I should have expected that a highly decorative detective would be able to put that together. Him having been your childhood friend also does not hurt, does it?"

Felix shook his head, looking away from Rhea. "I still don't know why I'm here."

"You are here because the Prince demanded it. His... moods often are what people respond to. While he has been here for some time, he is still young." Rhea tilted her head, eyes glittering in the silver lighting.

"He's dead."

Rhea blinked at him, smiling. "I could see how you would think that, Felix. But, death is just another part of life, here. When I first met young Dima, I was certain he was dead. we nursed him back to health-"

"I saw him be buried. Dimitri Blaiddyd is dead. That thing-" Felix wanted to spit the words in the lady's face, his mind whirling. He watched as she tensed, her brows furrowing.

"I can see how you would come to that conclusion, however that is just simply not true." Rhea's voice cut into Felix's sentence. She let out a sigh, dropping her head. "I have felt the pain that Dima carries in his heart. He is stuck in a stasis, one step away from a transformation that would have him be a monster. That transformation was always within him. It was hidden and, with his supposed death, it had been released. Normally, I would disagree with my child's... actions. In this case, I believe we can use this to our benefit."

Felix stared at her. "Dimitri... he's..."

"Dima cares for you greatly, Felix. With his other friend having fled the Underground, he has grown more upset. There is only so much we can do to please him. I wish for you to care for Dima, keep him happy."

"I'm not a babysitter." Felix snapped.

Rhea lifted her head, her eyes narrowing. "You would do rather well to remember that you are here only because of Dima. I would have killed you where you stood if Yuri had brought you here without him. You have breached our most inner sanctum, for a police detective who had such a sudden falling of grace. You were working on the Crest Carver case, were you not?"

"I-"

"There may not be electronics or visable ways that we receive news, Felix Fraldarius, but you will be mistaken if you do not think we keep up to date on the going ons. You are here only for as long as I am unable to persuade Dima that you are better off elsewhere. You will watch over him, is that understood?"

Felix met the woman's gaze, fear spreading down his spine. She smiled then, gesturing towards the teapot.

"Would you please pour us some tea?"

Felix did as bid, his movements jerky. He nearly dropped the pot when Rhea's hand brushed past him, taking one of the sweets from the plate.

"Remember that you are here by the grace of the Prince and nothing will keep you safe if you lose his favor. I will tolerate you, only for his sake. But the moment you step out of line..." She reached her other hand across the table, touching Felix's cheek. "I will protect my home, child."

She dropped her hand, taking her cup as Felix set the teapot down, placing his shaking hands on the table.

"Do we have an understanding?"

Felix nodded, swallowing. "Yes, ma'am."

Rhea studied him. "You do know how to use a weapon, yes?"

"Yes."

"I expect you to continue with that training. And, if you feel like you... lack anything, do not hesitate to ask. I wish for all of my family to be safe. While you are here, you are family."

Felix nodded, unease rising in him as Rhea set her cup down.

"You are dismissed."

Felix got up from the chair, heading to the door. He stopped when Rhea cleared her throat. "Yes?"

"What you see down here... it is a privilege to see. If it's spoken of at the surface, you will have to suffer the consequences. Remember that, Felix Fraldarius."

Felix nodded, leaving the room when Rhea took another sip of her tea. He headed towards the door, brushing past a bored looking Yuri.

~*~*~*~*~

Catherine paced up and down the hall, Claude watching her with a weary gaze. Edelgard shifted in her seat, one ankle crossed over her knee.

"What do you think happened?" Claude asked, glancing at Edelgard.

The woman sighed. "I... we were discussing the Underground. Given the information she has shared, it's possible they did something to her, made it so she wouldn't be able to share the information, causing her to collapse."

Claude glanced away. They were the only three in the waiting room that afternoon, Catherine finally pausing long enough to look at Edelgard.

"If you dragged one of my finest detectives-" she began.

Edelgard tilted her head, meeting Catherine's gaze. "I would like to remind you that you fired him. And were going to bring him in for questioning this morning and possibly arrest and throw him in jail for fabricated crimes. Calling him your best-"

"Damn it, Hresvelg, you know what I mean."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "I wish I could offer you the idea that he is safe, but I do not know what happened to Ingrid, either. This is something that's as new to me as it is to you, so I would appreciate it if you did not direct your ire at me."

"Come on, we can argue until we're blue in the face but-"

Claude was interrupted by a man walking onto the room, his eyes wide as he went to the desk.

"Ah, yes, I am looking for-" He had been mid sentence when he looked their way, his gaze landing on Edelgard. "Never mind," he told the receptionist, turning and heading over the trio. He met Edelgard's gaze, crossing his arms over his chest. "What happened?"

"Ah, Ashe, I-"

"And you are?" Catherine asked, ignoring Edelgard's glare over the interruption.

"My name is Ashe Ubert, I'm Ingrid's fiance. I received the call from the hospital and... well, I came as soon as I could." The young man rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze flicking from Edelgard to Catherine.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any information. We were discussing the current situation about work when Ingrid... collapsed." Edelgard chose her words with care, watching the man's face crumple. "Is there anything you can tell us about your time under, Ashe, that might be helpful?"

Ashe stared at Edelgard, shaking his head. "I-"

"Are you the family of Ingrid Galatea?" A nurse poked her head into the waiting room, looking at the group.

"I'm Ingrid's fiance." Ashe stepped forward, shifting his feet. "What happened?"

The nurse shook her head. "She's currently asleep, but she is stabilized. We found something..." Her gaze darted to the others, Ashe clearing his throat. "Would you come with me, Mr. Ubert?"

"Yes."

Claude watched the man slip through the door, running a hand through his hair. "What's the chance that the Underground has a way to silence people who talk about stuff they shouldn't?"

Edelgard shifted in her seat, putting her leg on the floor and standing up. "I have a feeling we'll find out once Ashe has returned."

"You don't have to rake the poor kid over the coals," Claude muttered.

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. "I'm not going to rake him over coals, Riegan."

Claude held up his hands, shaking his head. "But, like, you jumped to questioning him as soon as he walked through the door. Come on, his fiance is in the hospital."

"I would have tried, but Catherine interrupted me." Edelgard shot the woman another stare, Catherine rolling her eyes.

"It was the nurse that interrupted you," Catherine muttered.

"Regardless," Claude began, "we don't have to jump him the moment he comes out of the-"

He let his sentence falter as Edelgard fixed him with a look. She stood up from her seat, walking over to one of the vending machines.

Claude let out a sigh, turning to look at his phone. He had been scrolling through his previous conversations with Felix, wondering what the man was up to and if he was safe. He stopped, looking up when he saw Edelgard had sat in front of him, holding out one of two bottles of water.

Claude took it, Edelgard uncapping her own. "How well did you know Felix?"

"We were work partners, so our conversations didn't really move away from work a whole lot." Claude shrugged. “I tried to get to know him better, but he is a tough nut to crack.”

Edelgard nodded. "Is he good under pressure?"

"Sure."

"Can he handle the unexpected events thrown at him?"

Claude just shrugged. "He was always good with thinking on his feet. Kind of like a cat. Push him off the ledge and he managed to land just fine."

"Then, there's nothing to worry about."

Claude gave her a look, Edelgard meeting his gaze. "Why are you asking? Who said I’m worrying?"

"I..." Edelgard hesitated, glancing away. Her hair was pinned back, Claude taking in the whiteness of it all. "I am not good at the reassurance aspect of this job. Hubert is better with it."

"The man that could pass for a vampire?" Claude asked. "All looming darkness shadows?"

Edelgard laughed, shaking her head. "Yes, Hubert. He's a good man, even if he seems... ghastly in appearance. I'm sure his daughter will have friends that have a vampire obsession and Hubert will have to deal with all the questions."

"He has a daughter?" Claude asked.

Edelgard smiled. "Yes, such a sweet, young girl. Though, she has a mouth on her like you wouldn't believe. She's smart and very curious."

"You know, I would have never pictured him as one for fatherhood." Claude shifted in his seat, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"If you ever get worried about Felix being down in the Underground, you could talk to Hubert about it. It's hard when your loved ones are-" Edelgard began.

"Wait, we're not-" Claude opened his mouth as a flush crossed his face, Edelgard frowning at him. The awkward conversation was cut short as Ashe returned to the group, sitting in a chair next to Edelgard.

"How is Ingrid?"

"We're going to be parents." Ashe ran a hand through his hair, eyes distance. He glanced at Edelgard, shaking himself. "Right, Ingrid... is recovering. the uh... we think it has something to do with something that happened to her... talking about it in detail triggered... something and she collapsed." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the hospital rooms. "But she's in recovery."

Edelgard nodded, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Ashe. I am sorry for prying into it and congratulations."

Ashe nodded, slumping forward in his seat, head in his hands.

"It may be better to take Ingrid off the investigation." Catherine had joined them, arms crossed over her chest.

"That is her choice," Claude pointed out, "you would have to talk to her."

Edelgard shifted. "It seems as if there is more information that Ingrid would be able to share, if it weren't for... whatever happened today. Ashe, we'll get out of your hair for now. Will you please keep me updated on Ingrid’s condition?"

Ashe nodded, glancing at the trio. "How are you and Hubert, Edelgard?"

Edelgard smiled, though it was tight. "We're doing as well as we can. Lela's birthday is coming up soon. You and Ingrid are more than welcome to come."

Claude got up, glancing at Edelgard. "I'll see you later. I'm going to go home and do some thinking."

"Of course, have a good night, Riegan."

Claude headed out of the hospital waiting room, shaking himself once he was outside. He heard Catherine's footsteps behind him, thankful that the woman was following.

"Riegan, a moment?"

Claude glanced back at Catherine, sticking his hands in his pocket. "It sure has been an exciting day, hasn't it?"

Catherine hesitated. "You aren't going to leave the department to go work for Hresvelg, are you?"

"Nope. I like you and your people too much to be thinking about changing my colors now." Claude waved his hand, looking towards the hospital. "I can't say I understand what's going on, not in a way that matters. But, we'll have more answers than we'll probably want shortly."

Catherine nodded. "Then continue doing your job, Riegan."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave Catherine a small salute, turning and continuing his way to his car. The afternoon sun was bearing down on him, Claude looking up at the sky. He shaded his eyes, a frown appearing on his features.

He headed back to the station, retreating into his office and sat in one of the chairs. He glanced at the board, grimacing as he picked up his phone.

He dialed the now all too familiar number of Hanneman Esser, listening to the rings.

On the third ring, someone actually answered.

“Good evening, this is Professor Hanneman von Esser, how can I help you?”

“Good afternoon, Professor. This is Claude von Riegan from the Fodlan Police Department. We have been trying to get in touch for several weeks-”

“Ah, yes, my apologies, I just returned from a historical dig and am working on catching up on my messages. Did you manage to get in touch with Linhardt?”

“That’s what I’m calling you about. Linhardt von Hevring was found murdered, around mid July. How long were you out on your historical dig? Last I heard, you were out of town, but if you just got back in…”

“Yes, I was gone for about two months. The dig ran longer than expected and we just managed to wrap up last week. What do you mean, Linhardt was found murdered?”

Claude cleared his throat. “Exactly what I spoke of, Hanneman. As of July, his disappearance has become an ongoing murder-”

“Was it the Crest Carver?”

Claude let out a sigh. “Yes, Hanneman, it was indeed the Crest Carver. Can you tell me the projects that yourself and Hevring were working on?”

Hanneman let out a sigh and Claude frowned.

“There were several projects we were each working on. While our main project was the history of the Crests, Linhardt was trying to decide if the crests were still something that was plausible.”

“Plausible?”

Hanneman cleared his throat. “I would love to discuss this in person, as it’s rather important information. I would hate for it to get lost in translation. Could we set a time to discuss this information?”

Claude groaned. “I have been trying to reach you for some time,” he began.

“I… I understand. I…” There was a pause and a rustling on the end of the line. “I have just found out that my research assistant and a good friend of mine has been murdered. This matter greatly concerns me, but I must…”

Claude nodded, closing his eyes. “I apologize for the manner in which we have informed you. As soon as you get a moment to collect and gather your thoughts, please call me.”

“Of course, Claude. You have a good evening.”

Claude hung up the phone, snorting in annoyance as he turned back to the board. He got up, writing a note on the piece of paper by Linhardt’s name, circling Hanneman’s name and adding a question mark next to it.


	12. Correlations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Okay, this probably could have gone with the other chapter, hence why I'm posting two chapters at once, BUT!
> 
> I think I really did sort of fuck up the timeline, so. Think of this as a transitional chapter to sort of shove the days forward. I guess?
> 
> Revised.

Felix felt like he was swimming through molasses as he stepped back into what he was slowly considering his room. The first day in the Underground had been exhausting.

All he wanted to do now was take a warm shower and go to bed, but-

He sighed as the knocking continued on his door. He walked to it, opening it and meeting Yuri's bemused gaze. The man had left him to go do something the moment they were near the apartments and Felix had gladly broken away from him.

He hadn’t expected to see him so soon.

"Did you forget about dinner?"

"No." Felix let out a sigh, slipping his shoes on and followed Yuri through the winding halls. "There aren't any mirrors here."

Yuri gave him a glance, frowning. "What do mirrors have... ah, yes. Lady Rhea is big on reminding those below the sanctuary that self reflection is an important part of our lives. But, in the sanctuary, mirrors become a rarity because you are supposed to serve those that are under your guidance, no time to turn inward and reflect when you must watch the masses."

"Then what would be the point of self reflection at all?" Felix asked.

Yuri shrugged. "Looking too closely at Rhea's teachings can give you all sorts of headaches. We can discuss it later."

Felix looked at the door Yuri had stopped in front of. He knocked on the wood, waiting three heartbeats before he pushed it one.

The room beyond it was cozy, a table set out for twelve people. Yuri gestured for Felix to follow, leading him to another door and opening it. Several people looked up, all of them holding goblets in their hands. Felix recognized Hapi and Constance, another man standing next to them. Dima smiled, standing next to another, white haired gentleman that Felix didn't know, and a teenager that Felix did.

Yuri's gaze skittered to Felix, reaching out as he steered him towards Hapi and Constance, even as Dima's gaze seemed to falter just a moment.

"This, my friend," Yuri said, raising his voice just a touch, "is Balthus, the man I wanted you to meet."

Felix glanced up at Balthus, taking in his shaggy hair and surprisingly kind eyes. "Pleased to meet you." From the corner of his eye, he could see Dima seem to deflate a bit, though he was still watching Felix.

"Ah, nice to meet you, too." Balthus stuck his hand out, Felix taking it. He pulled away when Balthus was done, turning to see that Dima was smiling at him. He walked over when Yuri let go of his hand, ignoring the way that the third man in Dima's trio tracked his movements.

Dima had mentioned Glenn, called him by name. Told Felix that Glenn wasn't the same and still, Felix hadn't believed the child that his brother was-

"This is Dedue." Dima pointed at the man Felix didn't know, a frown on his face. "And I guess you already know Glenn." He gave the teenager a pointed stare, while Glenn just frowned in response.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Felix." Dedue offered Felix a small bow. "I have heard several tales of you from Dima and I am happy to be able to put a name to the face."

Dima stuck his tongue out. "I'm hungry. And Sylvain isn't joining us tonight. It's so unfair." He spoke the words to just Felix, but his voice carried in the small room.

"Sylvain has matters to attend to," Yuri called over his shoulder, turning to look at Dima. "He told you that before he left."

Dima wrinkled his nose. "It's still boring when he leaves. Though, Felix is here now! Maybe he'll stay around more now that Felix's back. But, I'm hungry. If we aren't waiting for him, who are we waiting for?"

Yuri shrugged, turning his attention back to what Constance was saying, her voice pricking at the back of Felix's thoughts.

The silent Glenn turned, walking to another door Felix hadn't noticed before and disappeared, slipping through it like water through a crack. Dima frowned at the door, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Glenn is unsettling."

"Yes, yes he is." Felix shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure what else Dima was going to say, but Glenn reappeared, Rhea, Seteth, and Byleth following shortly after. Felix frowned, watching as a fourth figure appeared, his heart sinking when he recognized the hair color but-

"Good evening, all." Rhea clapped her hands, drawing the groups' attention to her. She gestured for the first door, the one that led into the dining room. "I am pleased that we could be here for tonight's celebration in welcoming Felix into our fold."

Felix felt the eyes on him, but he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck raise as the fourth member of Rhea's group met his gaze, a smile crossing his face.

His head swam and he felt a hand on his shoulder, glancing at Dedue.

"Breathe," he suggested, voice gentle and Felix took in a breath, shaking himself and pulling away. Yuri had given him a look, but other than that, no one had taken notice of what had happened and Felix relaxed.

Rhea led them into the dining room, food having appeared on the table between the time Felix and Yuri had entered the other room.

It was with a sinking feeling that Felix took a place between Glenn and Dima, the person wearing Linhardt's face sitting across from him. Rhea sat last, gesturing towards the table. "It is a pleasure knowing that my family has once more extended to include Felix Fraldarius among our number. While he joins us with his presence, he will need to test himself. Please, give him a warm welcome and see to it that he fits in well among the family."

The others nodded in agreement, Felix relaxing when the attention shifted away from him. The person across from him smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. He had never seen Linhardt wear anything other than a sleepy look, even when he spoke.

To see this now-

"My name is Flayn."

The words were a bit stilted, but Felix nodded in response. The voice was ever so slightly higher than he remembered Linhardt's being.

"Flayn recently joined us," Seteth commented from where he sat next to Rhea. "She is my daughter."

Flayn nodded, her dark green hair spilling down her back. She smiled again at Felix and he wanted to shake himself, to tell himself that he was imagining things.

Ghosts weren't real.

People stayed dead.

The conversations twisted around Felix as dinner truly began. Rhea insisted on being the one to serve, paying extra attention to the three that sat closest to her. Yuri and his trio of friends were sequestered mainly to themselves and Felix was meant to make the prince happy, whatever that meant.

Halfway through dessert, Felix found himself drifting. He was struggling to keep his eyes open, his head tilting. The last day had been a whirlwind and really-

"Why don't you get some sleep, Felix? It has been a long day for you, hasn't it?"

Rhea broke into his lack of train of thought, the man blinking at her and shaking his head.

"Right, it has. Sorry."

He excused himself from the table, heading towards the door. He was halfway down the hall when he noticed Balthus following him. He stopped long enough for the man to catch up, continuing to walk.

"So, why are you down here?" Balthus asked, glancing at Felix. Felix met his gaze, blinking in the dimming light.

"I had my dead childhood best friend show up at my door at like, three this morning and I'm still not convinced that this isn't some sort of horrible dream. I would really like it to be a dream." Felix made a face, glancing at Balthus. "You're one of Yuri's friends, Balthus, right?"

"Not wrong there. He asked to make sure you got to your room alright. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Felix just nodded, glad when Balthus actually left him alone. He stripped out of his borrowed clothes, leaving them in a pile next to the bathroom door and stepped inside.

The running water surprised him, as did the temperature controls, but he relaxed once the warm water hit his skin and he could shower in peace.

~*~*~*~*~

Edelgard looked up as there was a knock on the door, meeting Ferdinand's gaze. She nodded at him, the man walking into the room.

It was early in the afternoon, Ingrid on a leave of absence while Claude went to find lunch and get his head out of the files for more than five minutes.

"How are you today?" Edelgard set the papers to the side, meeting Ferdinand's gaze.

"Lela's been upset that I have to go back away for work." Ferdinand sat in a chair, glancing up at Edelgard. "And I... am disappointed that I am going to miss her birthday."

Edelgard nodded, setting the papers aside. "Are you asking for an out?"

"I... don't know. You don't know what happened to Felix, correct?" he asked.

"The security tapes show him leaving the apartment with a purple haired man, Yuri, as of yesterday around three in the morning. You know, I would not be upset at you if you decided to take a step back from the undercover work, Ferdinand."

The man let out a sigh, slumping his shoulders. "I know neither of you would be upset. I would be upset with myself, however. You have put in so much work to the task force, Edelgard, and I don't want to feel like I'm throwing that work away."

She shook her head. "There's nothing that you could do that would make me feel that way. Your family is important, Ferdinand. It's unfair to keep you away from them for so long. Though, I have a feeling that you've already discussed this with Hubert?"

Ferdinand nodded. "As of now, you don't have any reliable agents in the Underground and you still need to hear about what happened to Felix. At least, next time I come up, I should have word for his friends on how he is."

Edelgard nodded. "Of course, the choice is always yours, Ferdinand. Just know that I appreciate everything you do for us."

"Of course."

Ferdinand studied Edelgard a moment longer, shifting his stance. "Have you spoken to the other agents at all?"

Edelgard grimaced. "I have not, unfortunately, since Ingrid and Ashe returned. And you haven't seen them either?"

Ferdinand's gaze flicked to the board of murders, shaking his head. "No, but we hadn't been trying to keep in touch in the first place. It was... easier that way."

She nodded, dropping her gaze to the papers. "It looks like we might have to write them off for good. Have you noticed anything different recently?"

"There's been more activity up in the Center, the last week or so. And..." He glanced at the board, looking at the most recent murder victim. "I've seen her."

He walked closer to the board, taking a better look at Linhardt's picture. "There's a... girl. She's... I've seen her once or twice, from a distance. She's been hanging around Rhea's right hand man, Seteth. But, that's her. At least, she has hair like that. She has it styled differently, though."

"That is Linhardt von Hevring, a history professor at one of the local colleges. He was found murdered in July. Though, his body was missing the head and-"

Ferdinand picked up the headshot of Linhardt, going pale as he saw the body underneath.

"We keep it covered for a reason."

Ferdinand dropped the picture, turning to look at Edelgard. "That can't... be his body."

"DNA matched. The only DNA that matched, out of all of them."

Ferdinand glanced back at the board, looking over the pictures. "You say he died last month?"

Edelgard nodded.

"That's around when this new girl appeared." He looked away from the board, sitting in Claude's seat. "But, if the body is Underground, then how is it also here?"

Edelgard shook her head. "I... I don't know. It doesn't make sense that a body would match if it wasn't really... his."

"I'll keep an eye on it. If I can find Felix and speak with him, maybe he'll have more information." Ferdinand stood, nodding at Edelgard. "I'll be going back under tomorrow. If you have anything else to tell me before then, just let me know."

"Of course."

Edelgard watched him leave, Claude rejoining her moments later. He sat in his seat, meeting her gaze. "You look like you just saw a rat."

Edelgard scoffed. "I happen to hate rats. No, Ferdinand just gave me some interesting information."

"What sort of information?" Claude asked.

Edelgard looked at the board. "He thinks Hevring is still alive. Claims he saw him in the Underground, but he was calling himself someone's daughter."

"Did we happen to get a name?" Claude asked, sounding tired as he turned back to the board.

"He couldn't tell me a name. What did you know about Linhardt? Is it possible that he would... want to stage his own death and run away?" Edelgard asked.

Claude shook his head. "He was a perpetually tired man. But, he spoke fondly of his husband when he did talk about his personal life. He didn't seem unhappy, mainly just fatigued. Would fall asleep in the middle of talking about anything. He was nice enough. It’s been a bitch to get a hold of Hanneman in any meaningful way and he seems intent on staying under the radar. Maybe he had something to do with it."

"I think we need to dig up Glenn Fraldarius's body and DNA test to ensure that he's really dead." Edelgard let out a sigh. She got up from her seat. "I'll go talk to your captain."

Claude nodded, watching her walk out. He let out a sigh, picking up the paper Edelgard had been reading and wishing he hadn't, setting aside the death statistics with a grimace.

“Riegan.”

He looked up when Catherine poked her head into the room, a frown on her face.

“Edelgard just went to find you. Did you pass her in the hallway?”

Cathine gave him a look, shaking her head. “I’ll speak with her after I speak with you.”

“So, what’s up, captain?” Claude asked.

“Do you know why Fraldarius had his gun drawn in that recording?”

Claude shifted in his seat, looking down at this food. “I asked when I walked in. He had it drawn, said that he had heard something in the hallway. It was pretty early in the morning and he thought he was the only one here. When he looked at the security tapes, he was the only one there. He drew it on empty air.”

“I did speak with his father.”

“Oh?” Claude shifted in his seat, meeting Catherine’s gaze.

She nodded. “Rodrigue did a fair bit of my training until he moved away. I spoke to him about Felix, yesterday. Hallucinations were never something Felix suffered from.”

“Don’t they have a whole medical report that is given to the police department to prove that you’re sane enough to work the job?” Claude asked.

Catherine raised an eyebrow. “There’s a laundry list of medical issues that were sealed before Felix turned eighteen. But never hallucinations or delusions.”

“So…”

“If Hresvelg cannot provide proof of Felix’s continued existence, we have to state he’s dead.”

“Wait, what?” Claude demanded, meeting Catherine’s gaze. “Why do we have to say he’s dead? We can at least verify that Yuri took Felix-”

“To the Underground, yes. But, as it stands, he is running from the law. He’s a criminal. Had you just talked to me-”

“We did!” Claude snapped. He took a breath, centering himself and letting it out in a low sigh. “We told you that he wanted to go under. You told us you would speak with Edelgard. We’re here now. He’s Underground and-”

“Right.” Catherine cut Claude off, shaking her head. “Can you prove that they haven’t killed him yet?”

Claude swallowed, glancing down at the table. The last few days had been stressful, Edelgard’s own concern a palpable thing that they had to navigate. He shook his head, looking back up to look at Catherine’s face. “He is going to come back to us, I know it, Catherine. Whether you think he’ll come back or not, he will.”

Cathine met Claude’s gaze, crossing her arms over her chest. “I hope you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're getting close to having our "full" cast shown. I don't know if you're able to pick up what's happening yet, but let me know? Either I went way too heavy handed and made it obvious, or I went the opposite way and. I just have no clue how it reads to an outside perspective.


	13. The Blue Circle*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's a damn travesty? I am nearly 30K into this fic and ya'll haven't seen any of the circles yet. It's my fault. I have a terrible pacing habit. I could make chapters longer. But, I just. Hmmm, we'll see how it goes.
> 
> Also, I love writing Yuri. And him flirting with Felix. Look, I considered it, okay? Because I am a dirty multi-shipper.
> 
> ALSO: Congrats, we've hit 500 hits on this baby! So you guys get a mid week update!  
> Updates will go back to Mondays as of this weekend.
> 
> Major Revisions.

“Have you heard back from the history professor?”

Claude ran a hand over his face, blinking at Edelgard. He tilted his head and shoved himself up from the desk. “No and he’s back to ignoring my phone calls.”

Edelgard raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think that is?”

Claude waved his hand. “Fall classes are starting back up, he’s probably busy with college. If he keeps avoiding my calls, I plan on going down to see him myself.”

“And you haven’t before because…?”

Claude heaved a sigh through his nose. “I have my doubts about the guy and I don’t want him too close to me. But, at this rate, he may be the only source of information we have. And Linhardt was drastically easier to reach because he wasn’t in charge of an entire history department and multiple historical digs across Fodlan.”

Edelgard let out a hum. “Hanneman von Esser. That name sounds familiar.”

“He’s from an old noble line, though his family fell out of favor with the Empire several hundreds years before the decline of nobility. He’s the main researcher in Fodlan City’s college history department. He’s well rounded, studied in different countries to obtain multiple degrees-”

“His wife owns an opera house.” Edelgard snapped her fingers, looking at Claude. “I’ve seen him there, a handful of times.”

“He’s married?”

Edelgard nodded. “I don’t believe it’s common knowledge, but he is. Given that she spends a lot of her time at digs and college, I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

“You go to the opera?”

Edelgard rolled her eyes. “Did the heat melt your brains over summer, Riegan?”

He let out a sigh. “I’ve dealt with a lot worse heat than this. Are you sure you aren’t the one that cooked under that jacket?”

“My health is none of your concern, Riegan.”

Claude nodded, shifting in his seat. “Right, right. Well, I’m going to keep trying to get in touch with this damn man. Next week, I’m just going to the campus myself.”

“Please let me know when you do. It concerns me that he isn’t willingly returning the calls of a FPD detective.” Edelgard drummed her fingers against the table, looking up at him. “What’s his number?”

Claude fished out the worn business card, handing it to Edelgard. She looked it over, slipping it into one of her pockets. “If you have better luck than me, that’d be great.”

“I’ll let you know.”

~*~*~*~*~

"Where are we going?"

Felix was trudging behind Yuri, the man stopping in front of a door. He studied the engraving one the wall for a moment, placing his hand in the middle.

"You've been here a week now, right?" Yuri asked, glancing at Felix.

Felix glanced towards the ceiling. They were outside of the sanctuary, having walked down the steps Felix had walked up last week. The air around them was different. It felt colder, quieter, like Felix would have expected the Underground to feel.

In the Sanctuary, Garreg Mach, it was lively and filled to the brim with colors and the ceilings shifted and showed the sky, giving him a sense of time unless he was in the dorms, in his own apartment.

He spent hours in the training grounds with Dima, running through drills. Now, his hand hovered at the hilt of his sword, of which Yuri insisted he take with them.

"Yeah, I suppose I have."

Yuri nodded. "And you haven't been outside of Garreg Mach. I want to give you a bit of the taste of the other circles."

Felix frowned at him. "What about-"

"Ah, Sylvain has finally decided to stop avoiding us for the time being. He's hanging out with Dima today," Yuri explained, "he seemed okay with that."

Felix frowned. "Sylvain is one of the generals, is he not?"

"Yep."

"And which Circle is he a general of?"

"The Blue Circle. He's been spending a lot of time down there due to a..." Yuri paused, considering his words. "Well, I'm not actually sure why he's spending time down there? He’s recent to the role of general, as of a few months ago. That was following the previous Blue Circle’s demise.”

“What happened to him?” Felix asked.

Yuri smiled at him. “I’ll tell you what happened if you tell me how you know all these people.”

“You first.” Felix gestured at Yuri, the man letting out a hum.

“Sylvain killed him, the previous general. Bit of an argument, as I heard it. It was probably over some woman or man or something. Rhea wasn’t clear on the details. She was livid, then made Sylvain take Miklan’s position and the world went one.”

Felix stared at him, biting down on the inside of his cheek at the mention of Miklan. "Sylvain, Ingrid, Dimitri, and I were childhood friends. Before Dimitri's untimely murder." He ground out the words, his gaze darting away from Yuri to the door.

"Well, as you can see, the kid is clearly-" Yuri began.

"That _thing_ ," Felix seethed, "is not Dimitri."

His voice was kept quiet, Felix glancing over his shoulder. It wouldn't do if Dima had overheard Felix, even if he knew the kid wasn’t anywhere near him.

His skin crawled, the image of Flayn wearing Linhardt’s face, of Glenn staring at him from the shadows, and whatever horrors he had seen had unsettled him. Even if he couldn’t say anything.

"Regardless of your feelings for your dead friend, we have to pretend that thing is your Dimitri." Yuri shifted, glancing at Felix. "What about this has you so unsettled?"

Felix stared at him. Yuri had his hand still pressed against the door, his mouth pulled into a frown.

"Dimitri is... dead. My _brother_ is dead!" Felix snapped, narrowing his eyes at Yuri. “Linhardt was murdered, and yet-”

Yuri held up a hand, frowning. "Why did you agree to come with us then?"

Felix shifted, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. Let's just... get this over with. You wanted to show me something?"

It was better to ignore the dead people, Felix was convinced of that.

Yuri studied him for a moment longer before he nodded. "Yeah, I thought it would be good if you got an idea of what the rest of the Underground is like. Unless you want to go back to the Sanctuary and stay with Dima all day?"

Felix shook his head. "I'm... I'd rather not."

"Thought as much. You put up with him for a week. You need a break. Even Rhea can't fault you for that." Yuri pulled open the door, gesturing for Felix to step inside. He gave yuri one last look before he stepped through the doorway. The room darkened when Yuri joined him, lighting up blue when Yuri moved around.

He opened a second door, Felix blinking at a market place that appeared before them. It was darker than Felix would have expected, the air humming as voices rang out around them. Venders had little booths set up along the walls, Yuri taking Felix's wrist.

"You'll want to stay close," Yuri murmured, his voice ringing in Felix's ear.

Felix glanced at him, a question on his face, but Yuri was already leading him through the crowds of people. Felix looked at all of them, his thoughts overwhelmed with how many people, how many _children_ he saw in the Underground.

"Honestly, this place has an entire city all on its own," Yuri murmured, his voice low. He wrapped an arm around Felix's waist, ignoring the protests that he tried to spit out. "What would happen to all these people if the Underground collapsed?"

Felix glanced at him. "I don't want-" he began.

"Some of these people have never even seen the light, because they were born down here and they grew up here and they learned to excel here." Yuri stopped in an empty alleyway, Felix nearly stumbling into him when he stepped too close.

"What is it that you want from down here, Fraldarius?"

Felix felt the point of a dagger press into his stomach, his gaze hardening. No one had paid them any mind, no one had questioned Yuri taking Felix into the alleyway.

"What is it that you gain by trying to come down here?"

Felix gathered himself, taking in a breath. "I want to catch the person that has been leaving bodies in my city. We call them the Crest Carver. We thought we caught the killer, but the bodies kept turning up. There was a three month gap between the first round of killings and the second around in June."

Yuri pulled the blade away, keeping his arm pressed over Felix's chest as he leaned in closer. "You were never in any real trouble with the police, were you?"

Felix swallowed, looking from Yuri's face to his arm. His own hand was slowly moving to the blade at his wait and he cursed himself for not grabbing it sooner. "It was a set up. I wanted to see if I could catch the killer by coming down here."

Yuri shifted, his now free hand catching Felix's wrist. "They wouldn't have let you in the door. They would have killed you where you stood."

"Probably."

Yuri studied Felix, drifting closer to him. "Once a month, Rhea has elaborate rituals, something only a select few people get to witness. She calls them her summonings of the Goddess. I haven't seen a ritual, but I know it involves people dying. Sometimes, she doesn’t have them, never says why. There was a gap, recently."

“How long have Seteth and Byleth been down here?”

Yuri paused, letting out a hum. “Seteth appeared sometime last year. Byleth, as far as I am aware, was raised by Rhea. I saw him, sometimes, when I was younger. Do you think Rhea has something to do with this? That will easily get you killed.”

Felix wanted to pull away as the words were whispered into his ear, his heart pounding. He was still pressed against the wall, Yuri not even two inches from his face. The man's eyes were calculating, trained on Felix and-

Yuri pulled back, releasing Felix from the wall.

"There's a lot of diversity in the Underground. No one cares who you are or where you're from, just that you can offer help and fight. Each Circle has its own economy. You'll find things in each Circle that you wouldn't find elsewhere."

Felix scrambled to catch up with Yuri as the man started to walk away, his cape twitching as he glanced over his shoulder. Felix was by his side again, Yuri stopping in front of a booth and looking over the objects.

"It certainly has a lot of things," Felix muttered.

Yuri nodded. "You're understanding, then."

Felix shook his head and Yuri laughed. They walked around until Yuri led Felix into a building, the man at the bar perking up when he saw Yuri.

"Afternoon, Raph, two of the usual, please." Yuri flashed him a smile, turning and pointing Felix into a booth. Felix sat down, gaze flancing over his shoulder as Yuri sat on the side facing the door.

"Raphael here is a second generation tavern owner. His parents ran this place up until their deaths, when Raphael took over." Yuri frowned, tapping his knuckles on the table. "Stop trying to watch the door, you'll make others suspicious."

Felix looked back at him, frowning. "But-"

"I'll watch your back," Yuri promised, "and besides, you're interesting. It wouldn't do to let you get killed now."

"How comforting."

Felix glanced up as the innkeeper, a burly man, came with two bowls of stew, setting them down before placing the tankards of alcohol down as well. He turned to Yuri, a grin on his face.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Yuri, how've you been?"

Yuri smiled back at him, shifting his posture. "I've been busy, keeping on my feet. This," Yuri says with a gesture to Felix, "is my new friend, Felix. I'm showing him around the Circle today. Is that art exhibit still up?"

Raphael thought for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, all of Victor's work? They're keeping it up until the end of the Ethereal Moon. Plan on moving it to the other side during the Guardian Moon. Gotta admit, I enjoy heading over there and am not looking forward to the move."

"It's understandable. I bet they'll find a middle ground to put the exhibit in, it wouldn't do if no one could see it at all," Yuri mused.

Felix took a bite of the stew, glancing between Yuri and Raphael. Their conversation shifted, Felix looking down at the stew once more. Raphael left them after a moment, Yuri turning back to Felix.

"Something on your mind?"

Felix shook his head. "Just... there are a lot of people who live here, aren't there?"

"Yes. And a lot of people who have grown up here. Above, they speak about us as if we're a burden. However, the only thing you really hear about is-"

"The Fringe."

Yuri nodded. "Imagine what it would be like if the Fringe didn't exist. If the Underground was completely separate from the above."

"We wouldn't even know where to begin looking." The thought unsettled him, his gaze rising to the ceiling. He wondered, then, where he was under the city. What building was above them, filled with people who saw the light every day.

"And look at how well these people adapted to living here." Yuri gestured to the people around them, families and friends having conversations, laughing, enjoying themselves. The vendors outside, filling in the streets and making it cozy.

"What is it that you want, Yuri?" Felix asked, feeling the exhaustion drag at him. It had been a week and he hadn't even learned anything of use, not anything he could bring back to Edelgard.

Yuri just smiled, tapping the side of his nose. "I want to know where your loyalties lie, Fraldarius."

"If I said my goal was just catching the Crest Carver and leaving the rest of... this alone?" Felix asked, his faze flicking to the others. No one seemed to be listening, but he wanted to be sure.

"And if I told you that Dima and Glenn would die if the magic was taken away?" Yuri asked.

Felix opened his mouth, shutting it and narrowing his eyes. "What interest would I have in magic?"

"This whole place is tied to magic, Felix. You're an outside force, you wouldn't understand. By all means, I won't get in your way and I won't stop you from trying to investigate. But, I want you to know that I also won't let you get in my way."

"And if I do?" Felix asked.

Yuri smiled, beginning to eat his stew. "I suppose, if you start working against me, we'll hash it out then. Right now, you need someone you can trust."

"And if I don't trust you?"

Yuri tapped a finger against the table. "I think you'll have to learn to trust someone."

"Right." Felix set his spoon down, finding his stomach to be turning. "What is it that you're offering?"

Yuri smiled then, brighter than his previous one. "Now you're understanding this. I think we could work together, learn to trust each other and you would have a network of people to fall back on. People who could help you."

"And that's if I trust you."

Yuri shrugged a shoulder. "There are worse positions to be in. You could be trying to do all of this without any of my help."

"Do I have a choice?"

Yuri cocked an eyebrow. "You could have stayed top side. You could have ignored my knock last week. There are a lot of things you could have done. But, you're here now. And, surprisingly, you still have choices to make. And it's your choice to make them."

"Okay."

Felix gathered himself, meeting Yuri's gaze. Yuri tilted his head again, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, what?" he mused.

"I'll think about your offer."

Yuri's face almost fell, his hand setting on the table. "Okay, you'll think about it. I suppose that's better than I thought your first response was going to be. I'll accept it, for now."

Felix let out a snort. "Not much of a choice if you won't let me think about it."

Yuri smirked at him, winking. "Of course there's a choice. But, there's a right choice and a wrong choice. And a wrong choice will get you killed. Now, we have an art exhibit to visit." Yuri placed money on the table, getting up from his seat. Felix followed, adjusting the sword at his hip. They walked out of the tavern, Yuri taking hold of Felix's wrist as he dove into the crowd once more.

~*~*~*~*~

The way to the exhibit was crowded, though once they were waved inside, there was more room to breathe.

"What is this place?" Felix asked, looking at the portraits that lined the white walls. "And why did we come here?"

"This is our traveling Art History exhibit." Yuri gestured to the paintings, stopping in front of a warrior. He wore striking blue and black armour, a fur cape fixed at his shoulders. Felix looked up at the man, staring into the one blue eye that was painted.

"This is Blaiddyd, one of the ten warrior generals." Yuri kept his voice quiet, mindful of the others around them. "Before the Underground was the Underground, the original descendents walked under the skies. The Ten Elite Generals were the honor guard to the goddess Sothis and were also her children."

"They..." Felix looked up at the photo, a chill running down his spine. "I've seen him before."

Yuri glanced at him. "This is what Dima looks like when he is angry, yes."

"But, Dimitri is... dead. How could he..."

Yuri lifted a hand, tilting his head. "Magic, my friend. But, Blaiddyd is only one of Ten Guardians. In total, the goddess was said to have twenty children."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "That... is a lot of children."

"She must have had a lot of free time," Yuri said with a wink.

"So, these... guardians and this goddess... what are they, exactly? How do they fit in with all of... this." Felix gestured around them, his gaze fixated on Yuri. "Because it doesn't make sense."

"Hmm, I know there's a story around..." Yuri looked at the paintings, turning his attention to the other side of the gallery. "Of course, these are just stories. People who weren't born in the Underground know the truth of the world, don't they?" His voice was soft, ghosting across Felix's ear. Felix flicked an annoyed glance at him, Yuri smiling.

He tugged Felix over to another painting, looking up at it. A woman sat on a throne, hair spilling over one shoulder as she leaned forward, pointing. Surrounding her were twenty one figures, each painted in great detail despite the fact of how small they seemed.

"This was thought to be Ignatz Victor's final piece," Yuri murmured, "where he captured the goddess sitting upon the throne with her children and grandchild."

"How old are these?"

Yuri let out a hum. "Nearly a thousand years old. See, back in the early twelfth century, Garreg Mach was a sanctuary above ground. The children moved among the people, living their life and enjoying the fruits of the earth. Before long, the humans began a war and the goddess and her children were driven under the ground. She created this place as a safe haven for her children, wanting to bring them peace. But, the goddess, upon completing her Underground sanctuary, was said to have died, leaving her children alone. The children, bereft of the loss of their mother, turned on each other, killing each other until only one was left."

Yuri headed towards a painting of a woman holding aloft a sword.

"Saint Seiros, holding the Sword of the Creator. The last of the siblings. She turned her mother's gift into a cult, gaining more and more power until she seemed to have faded from memory." Yuri explained, looking at the card under the painting.

"Was this also painted by Victor?" Felix asked.

Yuri shook his head. "No, this is the only piece in the collection not painted by Ignatz Victor. Records indicate that the man died during or right after the Underground War of the Nabateans. But, Seiros was the victor of the war. Most of the people that fought against Seiros were killed."

"She looks like..."

"Yeah." Yuri took Felix's hand once more, showing him the other pieces. Upon closer inspection, Felix could see the crests that went with each picture, each person holding an object in their hands. He stopped when he recognized the Crest of Cethleann, grimacing.

"Who is that?"

"Ah, that is Cethleann, the daughter of Cichol." Yuri shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. "One of the Nabateans that lost her life in the war."

"What..." Felix closed his mouth, swallowing as he walked down the paintings, finding a handful more than he recognized. He looked up at the painting with the Cichol crest, the man depicted in it holding his spear high.

"That looks like..."

"Seteth?" Yuri mused. "I suppose it does have a... certain likeness to him."

"Is she trying to... bring them back?" Felix asked.

Yuri frowned at him, scratching the side of his head. "Bring who back?"

"Never mind," Felix muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so. I had a lot of fun coming up with Ignatz's position in the underground. I don't expect everyone to make an appearance. I have a few ideas for where some of the kiddos will go, but, for now. Just know that some of them may or may not appear. I dunno.
> 
> Also, yeah, I totally. Jacked the lore and turned it into a pretzel to fit what I needed it to fit for this story. Which, I work on while I write. Cause what is planning and what is having an outline?


	14. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm officially moving updates to Sundays.
> 
> Revised.

The pair left the exhibit after another two hours, Felix finding the paintings to be skin crawling. They wandered through the marketplace, Yuri stopping by a merchant to speak with him, pleasant even in the ever present gloom. The blue lights glittered above them, Felix glancing over his shoulder.

The feeling of being watched persisted even as they moved.

The paths were starting to thin out, people heading to wherever they headed. All around, he could see signs of life, see children playing together or tagging along behind their parents. They were pale, their eyes seeming to shine even in the gloom.

He had taken to squinting in the gloom, where others moved with the ease of living there.

"This place has evolved, hasn't it?"

Yuri glanced at him, the smallest hint of a frown crossing his face. "Whatever do you mean?"

Felix gestured around them. "You couldn't... take some of these people above ground, because this is all they know."

Yuri nodded, his eyes gleaming. "You aren't wrong. People have grown to be able to see better in the dim lighting. They live Underground afterall and, for some, they have never seen the sky."

Felix let out a huff. "And you want nothing more than to protect it, huh?"

"It's the only home I have ever known," Yuri murmured, "I would hate to see it swept away. So many people would be displaced. Not to mention that the gangs above ground would be overrun with people if they move from here to there. I think I understand why you're here, Fraldarius."

"I told you why I was down here," Felix muttered, edging away from him. If he ran from Yuri now, there would be nowhere for Felix to go. He didn't know the area like Yuri did.

"You want to find the killer, yes. At least convince them to stop dumping bodies. I agree with you there. No, it would be good if people stopped looking at the Underground completely. This is _our_ safe haven. You want to find out what’s keeping your dead friends here, don’t you? And it only works out in your favor that it lines up with your goals. Maybe."

Felix shifted, looking at the place around him. It was easy to imagine how hard it would be to bring all these people up to date, get them adjusted to the surface.

"How many people live here?" Felix asked, avoiding the question.

"Thousands."

Felix drew in a breath. "And there's only nine generals for the whole place?"

Yuri laughed, a cat darting in front of them from the sudden noise. "Everyone has people under them. The Underground functions off a very... different system than anything you would have ever had to deal with. But," Yuri waved his hand, "nothing about that should concern you. Let's return, shall we?"

He turned, Felix catching up to them. The walk back to the door they used to enter the Blue Circle was easy, Yuri letting out a hum as the darkness enclosed around them. Then, he was brushing past Felix, opening the other door. The sanctuary gleamed in the silvery light, Felix stopping to look up at it.

"Do you really believe the stories about the Nabateans?" Felix asked.

Yuri smiled at him. "It definitely is a curious story. A race of seemingly immortal beings, living among humans and then being driven underground, where this place was raised in their wake, offering sanctuary to any who found their way down here. And, to think, they started a war among themselves as if they hadn't _just_ fought a war above ground and against others just years prior."

Felix shuddered, Yuri falling silent as they reached Garreg Mach. The feeling of being outside struck Felix as odd, his gaze traveling the ceiling. Clouds drifted across the sky, Yuri placing a hand on Felix's shoulder.

"Sometimes, people find that they can't stay Underground for long. They start to go crazy."

"That's... reassuring," Felix muttered, trying to shake Yuri off. The man just steered him towards the dining hall, family dinner time being soon.

"Maybe Sylvain will stick around for once."

"I have a feeling Sylvain has been avoiding coming back because of me."

Yuri glanced at Felix, smiling at him. "You aren't wrong. But, it would be good for him to stay and hang out with us."

"How is... Sylvain?" Felix asked.

Yuri smiled at him. "He's a good fuck. He isn't fond of Rhea's children though. I think they unsettle him. You knew Sylvain before, are you expecting him to have changed much?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." Felix shifted his stance, Yuri pulling his hand away from his shoulder. "We haven't spoke in... a few years."

Yuri nodded. "Well, he should be around for today. It would be a good time to reconnect with each other."

Felix gave him a look. "I doubt that it's something he is interested in. If it were, he would have come around before now."

"Mmm, but you're so pretty. Who could say no to a face like that?" Yuri asked.

Felix rolled his eyes, taking a step away from Yuri. "Let's just get dinner over with."

Yuri laughed, leading the way to the dining room. Felix walked down the now familiar path, looking up. It was nearing sunset, the clouds rolling across the darkening sky. The clouds had covered the sky by the time they entered the dining room, walking into the small adjacent room that was the communal mingling room.

No one sat at the table until Rhea and her generals joined them.

Dima looked over, a smile crossing his face as he saw Felix, the boy tugging on another man's hand, voice low as Yuri greeted his friends.

Felix looked up, meeting Sylvain's gaze as the man tugged his hand out of Dima's grip, saying something that was lost. Felix felt the urge to run, his body holding him in place. In just a few short strides, he was by Dima's side, his gaze guarded as he nodded at Sylvain.

"Evening."

"Hey, Felix." Sylvain smiled at him, his eyes narrowing even as Dima started talking. Felix met Sylvain's gaze, his stomach turning over as Sylvain shifted, hair brushing his shoulders, eyes guarded in the same manner as Felix guarded his own emotions.

"Tomorrow, we should all hang out," Dima said, breaking into the awkward tension between the pair. "It'll be fun! Mother was busy today, and you went out with Yuri, it was boring."

"Oh, so you think I'm boring?" Sylvain asked, his gaze dropping to Dima with a raised eyebrow.

The child considered the older man, crossing his arms over his chest as he pulled his mouth into a pout. "You've been disappearing more often. That's boring, even more so when you don't return with any cool stories."

"Ah, I see. So you think me doing my job can be boring? There were a lot of things to fix and make up for after the previous general abandoned his position. Should I just leave it all behind?" Sylvain asked, his gaze flashing to Felix. "And you decided to break the rules by going above to find our friend here?"

Dima stuck his tongue out, turning away from Sylvain. "Mother already went over with me why that was wrong and why I shouldn't leave the Underground again. I don't need to hear it from you, either. It’s not like you care. You don’t follow the rules, either."

Sylvain took a step back, holding up his hands. "I do care, as long as you stay safe, Dima." His gaze shifted, turning back to rest on Felix. His easy smile seemed to slip, his eyes staring to widen. With a glance over his shoulder, Sylvain turned, heading to grab something to drink off the refreshment table.

Glenn appeared from the secondary side door, Rhea and her people trailing after him. Felix watched them, catching Flayn's eye. The young woman smiled at him, offering a little wave and Felix felt his stomach lurch as another person trailed out of the room and joined them, bringing their number up to a total of fourteen.

~*~*~*~*~

"We got another one."

Claude set the paperwork down on the desk, meeting Edelgard's gaze. The summer heat was oppressive, seeping its way into the building. Even with autumn seeping into the air, it wouldn't be soon enough.

"You have got to be kidding me." Edelgard set her papers to the side, meeting Claude's gaze.

"Well, I can at least confirm that we don't know the person who turned up dead." Claude tossed the paperwork onto the desk, looking at the red haired woman that had been killed. Her chest was carved open, the wound still seeping blood.

Edelgard looked at the photo, a frown etching into her features. She picked up her phone, snapping a photo of the body and sent it to Ingrid.

Within five minutes, her phone was buzzing and Edelgard answered. "Good evening, Ingrid, sorry to disturb you-"

"That's Annette Dominic."

Edelgard frowned, looking at the photo of the dead woman. "And you know her?"

Claude looked at her, Edelgard holding up a finger.

"Kind of. She's a friend of my friend. We've met a few times, but... she worked at the same opera house as Dorothea Arnault," Ingrid explained, "to be honest, I haven't heard from either of them in about two months, as they had a show starting and they both get too busy to talk with me."

Edelgard let out a sigh. "Do you have the opera company's name?"

There was rustling on Ingrid's end of the phone. "It's the Mittelfrank Opera, run by Mistress Manuela Casagranda. I'll text you the details in a moment."

"Thank you, Ingrid. You have a good evening." Edelgard hung up the phone once Ingrid had responded, setting her phone down. "The woman is named Annette Dominic, Ingrid recognizes the body."

Claude grimaced as Edelgard's phone buzzed, the woman opening the message to look at the details.

"And we have a place to start now." Edelgard wrote the details down on a sheet of paper, turning to look at Claude. "Do you fancy a trip to the opera with me tomorrow? And when did this report come in?"

Claude opened his mouth, closing it and frowning. "It came in like, thirty minutes ago. I just got back from the scene. Someone called it in as a drunk passed out. Seeing as her head wasn’t attached, I’m not sure how they thought she was drunk. Anyway, I showed up and called the whole thing in to Catherine, got the papers filled out and brought it back here."

"These are developed." Edelgard gestured towards the photographs, Claude letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, I printed them from my phone while I was on my way back. Thought it would be better if I had everything ready for when I got here. Seems like it was a good call after all." Claude shifted, dropping in his seat. "If there was time, I would have called you before I got back."

Edelgard nodded, her brows furrowing. "The crest is smaller than normal. It's set to fit between her breasts and collarbones, rather than..."

"The few women who have showed up were all very... flat chested. That would play into it. What was the name that Ingrid gave you?"

"Annette Dominic. Which... crest is this?" Edelgard asked, looking at the unused cards. Claude took another look at the photo, finding the card he needed almost right away.

"Huh, will you look at that, it's the... Dominic crest." Claude closed his eyes before he turned to the board, pinning one of the pictures and the crest card on it. "That's... what, two killings that have matched up with last names?"

Edelgard nodded, tapping a finger against the wood. "Did she have her heart?"

Claude shrugged. "They're working on an autopsy report now."

"First it was Linhard Hevring, now it's this Annette Dominic... before, the killer was doing their best to use people we couldn't identify. Now, they're shifting tactics."

Claude frowned. "Fifteen killings and we can positively identify two victims. Those odds make us look... terrible."

"They aren't great odds," Edelgard agreed, "but it means that the killer is looking beyond the Underground, looking for victims elsewhere. But, what's the reason behind it? Why would they need to look above ground for people to kill? There’s so many people..."

Claude shrugged. "Do we have an official count of how many people live in the Underground?"

Edelgard frowned at the table. "Thousands, if not more. Ferdinand described it as its own city, once. People, kids... lives being lived out all without the interference of us up here. A whole world, living its own life."

"A world with magic and mysteries, thriving right under our feet." Claude shared a glance with Edelgard. "And ritual killings that has the killer coming to the surface for more people."

The woman let out a sigh, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at the table. 

"You know, you easily accepted the stuff Ingrid told you, about the magic and shit. Why is that?"

Edelgard glanced at Claude, shaking her head. "I have had a... special interest in the Underground for a long time. Most stories don't surprise me. Hubert has had less dealings with them personally. And, in a way, he's more afraid for his partner even more, now that he has learned about it."

Claude nodded. "It makes sense. How much danger does Ferdinand put himself in, by being down there?"

"Enough that his family gets worried. I spoke with Caspar Bergliez, Linhardt's husband, about the last time he was seen and if there were any issues between them. Happy marriage, a dog and two cats. They were looking to adopt a kid. Linhardt didn't come home from work one night, Caspar filed a missing person's report and Linhardt turns up dead." Edeglard looked at the papers, frowning. "What's the decomp rate on any of these bodies?"

Claude scratched the side of his head, looking at the board. "The bodies had zero decomposition, making it hard to place when they died. The only harm on the bodies were... the death wounds and the crest carving."

"And each death wound was different."

Claude nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "At first, Felix and I thought the killing was to send a message, due to the political mess that was going on when this started. But, when we wouldn't place the body and a second and third body popped up..."

"You started looking at the Underground."

Claude nodded. "Then, the press started getting on our case. And it went downhill from there."

Edelgard sighed, rubbing at her temples. "And, I suppose my badgering Catherine didn't help, did it?"

"Didn't know you were trying to talk to her about it," Claude admitted, "she just wanted us to do our jobs."

Edelgard nodded. "Why do you think they've had so many killings without a break this time?"

Claude shook his head. "No idea. Hopefully we'll have some information soon. Can I get Caspar Bergleiz's number? I want to talk to him."

Edelgard nodded, grabbing a scrap piece of paper and jotting it down for him. Claude accepted it, heading out of the room.

He pulled his cell out, dialing the number and headed outside. It was hot, the evening sun trying to do its best to remind them that it was still summer. He pressed the call button, shifting his stance before sitting on a bench outside of the building.

"Hello?"

Claude shifted as the call was answered, taking in a breath. "Good afternoon, this is Detective Claude von Riegan from the Fodlan Police Department. I am looking to speak with Caspar Bergliez, is he in?"

"This is he. Is this more about Lin?"

"Yes, is this a bad time?" Claude asked.

Caspar let out a huff. "Not really. You are working on finding out the bastard that did this, right?"

Claude nodded, taking in a breath. "Yes," he said after realizing the man wouldn't be able to see him, "we're working on it right now. I was told that you filed a report when Linhardt didn't return home from work, correct?"

"Look, I'm used to Linhardt... getting caught up in his work. There were times he stayed at the university in the past, working late into the night. I wasn't worried that he didn't come home right away. After the third day, I was getting worried. Hanneman will chase Lin out of the university if he hasn't been home in a while, usually by the third day, but he wasn’t in town at the time. They don’t really have showers there, but Lin…” He took in a breath, shaking his head. “When I called Hanneman... well he didn’t have answers. So I called the college and asked and the faculty said that he had left two days before I called." Caspar stopped to collect himself once more, Claude frowning.

"So, he disappeared between leaving his work and heading home two days after you hadn't heard from him, rather than three?"

"Yeah, I guess so. The videos show him getting into his car, but his car was still in the university parking lot when I called to find information. They had me come and pick it up." There was a muffled sound on Caspar's end, Claude crossing his free arm over his chest. "Lin... didn't get into trouble. He didn't get into fights. He hated seeing blood, even. I... I don't know why they would have wanted him."

Claude nodded. "Do you know what he was working on?"

Caspar shifted. "It was..." he trailed off, hesitating. "It had something to do with the old crests. He was researching bloodlines, genealogy, crests. You said your name was Riegan, right?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"So, he had this... theory. I do-didn't understand half of what he spoke about, but. A long time ago, there were twenty two families, the original people who used the crests as their family symbol. He thought that the crests were more than a symbol. That they were... something more? A lineage that passed down, like the Reigan name but... having to do with like... magic and stuff?" Caspar hesitated, letting out a sigh. "It was his personal research project. Something he had been looking into for years. I might have more of his notes, if you think it would be..."

"I would appreciate it, Caspar." Claude glanced at the sky, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky. "We're going to find who did this to Linhardt, don't worry."

Caspar sighed. "I appreciate it. I'll see what I can find of his research notes. Uhm, he wasn't very particular about how his notes were stored, so I hope you don't... mind sorting through a mess."

Claude just smiled. "No, I don't mind. Thank you for the assistance, Caspar."

"Of course."

Claude ended the call, returning to the ac flooded building and heading back to the office. Edelgard looked up at him, cocking an eyebrow.

"Caspar is going to deliver us all of Linhardt's research notes on the crests. Apparently, it was his personal research project."

She raised her eyebrows further.

"And they aren't stored in any particular system, so... we'll probably have to sort through everything. But, from what Caspar said, Linhardt was researching the crests that used to be family coat of arms. And I guess he was looking into magic as well." Claude collapsed in his chair, rubbing his temples.

"I'll ensure that Hubert will be here to assist us with the note reading," Edelgard sighed.

Claude nodded, sitting back in his chair and thinking. He rubbed at his eyes, sighing. "I don't think we'll get anymore done tonight. I'm going to head home."

Edelgard nodded, looking up from her own notes. "Stay safe out there, Riegan."

Claude nodded, leaving the building.


	15. Opera**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And on we go.
> 
> I'm probably going to start posting longer chapters from this point on.
> 
> Major MAJOR Revisions. You definitely need to reread this one.
> 
> "Wanna go to the opera with me tomorrow?"  
> *entire idea gets shafted for two chapters and it's like three weeks later*

Sylvain's gaze swept through the crowd, his head throbbing. He wanted nothing more than to sit down and enjoy dinner, but Rhea had insisted on having a proper introduction with Dominic. And he had met Felix's gaze.

Balthus had told him that there was a new guy from the top. He had caught a glimpse of Felix the third day there and had decided that staying away was the best idea.

Dima was hovering around Felix now, chatting about something or another. Sylvain had distanced himself from the conversation, tried to sneak out, but Rhea had given him one look and he had stayed, despite the tiredness that weighed at him.

"Sylvain!"

He turned his attention to Dima, his hands in his pockets. "Sorry, I spaced out a bit there, what was that?" His gaze skittered to Felix, who had his eyes narrowed, before they found Glenn, lurking in the shadows. 

Glenn would join them for dinner, but the man himself never ate. Byleth was little more than an emotionless husk, Flayn was curious whereas Seteth was overly cautious. And Dima...

"I want to go exploring tomorrow," Dima said, tugging on Sylvain's hand. "We can have an adventure! You, Felix, and I! Maybe we could even go find In-"

"You aren't supposed to be going above ground," Sylvain reminded him, "so no Ingrid."

Dima opened his mouth, closing it and looked away, pouting.

Sylvain rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to say something else-

"Ingrid's dead."

Sylvain looked at Felix, heart thudding louder in his ears. Felix had his arms crossed over his chest, looking up at the wall.

"She... she's-" Dima began.

"It was only recent. Someone killed her because of her job."

Sylvain winced as Dima tore himself away, wrenching his wrist in the process. The child stared at Felix, his eyes full of fury and Felix met the gaze.

"You aren't supposed to be leaving the Underground anyway. Aren't we enough?" Felix snapped, narrowing his eyes.

Dima looked from Sylvain to Felix in confusion, the other conversations halting to take in the scene before them. Felix shifted, looking down at Dima. Dima lowered his gaze, staring at the floor but didn't mention it again, Rhea ushering them into the dining hall.

She gave Felix a look, the man ignoring it as Sylvain shook his head. He glanced at Rhea when he felt a hand on his shoulder, meeting her gaze.

"This week, you'll take Dima into the Circles, won't you?" she asked, a smile plastered on her face.

"Yeah, sure," Sylvain muttered. Rhea smiled at him once more, taking her hand away from his shoulder and heading inside. He watched her for a moment longer, following the last few in and took a seat, Dima sitting on his right while Felix sat next to Dima.

"So, what do you want to do this week?" Sylvain asked, casting a glance at Dima. “I know you mentioned wanting to do something tomorrow, but I have other obligations to take care of in the Blue Circle.”

Dima considered the question, accepting the plate that was placed in front of him, the food steaming in the almost frigid air.

"Well, hasn’t Felix seen much of the circles, have you?" Dima asked, turning his attention to Felix.

Felix gave him a shrug. "Yuri showed me the Second Circle today."

"Let's go see the Gold Circle! I heard that they were going to have a tournament sometime soon and I want to know the details." Dima glanced at Sylvain, smiling at him.

Balthus looked up at that, grinning, He cracked his knuckles, nodding at Dima. “There’ll be three contests, two brawling contests and a jousting. I believe Ferdinand is trying his hand again at jousting. I’m sure he wants to take home the win this month.”

Dima nodded, his eyes going wide as he tried to get closer to Balthus despite him sitting across the table. “Are you going to be there, too?”

Balthus just smirked, shaking his head before he winked at them. “You never know, you know?”

"Fine, we'll go to the gold circle for the tournament. On the condition that you behave yourself." Sylvain shifted, gladly starting to eat his food when Rhea gave them the go ahead.

Dima smiled at this, eyes bright. “Of course, Sylvain!”

~*~*~*~*~

"Sylvain."

The man tilted his head back, drawing in a breath as he heard his name. He turned and smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Hey there, Felix."

He had finally escaped from the family dinner, slunk off to go to bed and there Felix was, shadowing him. He struggled to pull a smile out of thin air, his hands trembling.

Felix met his gaze, looking him over. "Did you... ever get my letter?"

Sylvain stared at him, frowning. "Letter?" he asked after a moment, shifting his stance. That wasn’t how he expected this conversation to go, he expected a lot more… yelling.

Felix nodded, looking everywhere but him.

"What letter?"

Sylvain wants to take the words back as Felix's gaze seemed to fall. "Right, you would have probably just... thrown it away or something. You were probably still mad and, you know what, forget about it.."

Felix stared to walk away but Sylvain kept pace with him, glancing at him. "No, I really don't know what you're talking about. What letter?" he asked again, curious.

Felix opened his mouth, glancing away. "After... before dad moved us, I left a letter, but... I guess it was with Miklan, after all."

"Yeah, he didn't give me anything."

"So... what happened to your brother?" Felix asked.

Sylvain glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. They had stopped walking, Dima already in his room and to bed thanks to a reminder from Rhea that tomorrow would be busy. "He died. I’m not really sure, exactly, when he died.”

"And here I thought you inherited your position from your brother." Felix met his gaze, his mouth set in a line. “You don't’ have to lie to me, Sylvain.”

Sylvain went cold, drawing in a breath. “Yuri told you, didn’t he?”

“He did.”

Sylvain glanced away. “Miklan was a piece of shit and he got what was coming to him.”

“But why did you kill him?”

Sylvain closed his eyes, shoving the memory of his brother away. “Because he deserved it, Felix. I don’t know. Why does anyone kill their brother?”

Felix opened and closed his mouth, his brows furrowed and Sylvain huffed, tugging his mouth up into a smile. He studied Felix, eyeing him up and down and found the best path forward.

"So, what have you been up to?" Sylvain asked. In the past seventeen years, he had grown. His face was hard, his hair seemed longer than it had been in his childhood, but he had it thrown up into a bun, half of it attempting to escape anyway.

"School, police academy. Becoming an officer, then a detective, getting kicked out of the force, being kidnapped. You know, the usual stuff everyone goes through. I didn’t expect to be kidnapped, actually." Felix shrugged and they began walking again. "I... uh, I'm sorry Miklan's dead? I’m sorry you had to kill him?"

Sylvain swallowed down the nauseated feeling that threatened to overwhelm him. "Yeah, I... guess so. I mean, he wasn't really a nice person, so..."

Felix nodded, looking away from Sylvain. "It's... you find it strange, don't you?"

Sylvain closed his eyes, drawing in a breath. "I gave up trying to question what's real and what's not ages ago, honestly."

As close to the truth as he could give to Felix.

"How'd you end up down here?"

Sylvain tensed at the question, glancing at Felix. "I have had a very tiring day. I'm going to go to bed now."

He turned, picking up his pace. Felix faltered behind him and he stopped, letting out a sigh. The desire to turn to Felix, to promise him that it would be okay, to soothe his fears, reared its head and Sylvain took a steady breath, forcing himself to meet Felix’s gaze.

"Look," he began, turning around to face him, "do you think we're just going to pick up a friendship where it was dropped years ago?"

Felix shifted, shaking his head. "I wasn't expecting anything, actually."

"Why are you down here?"

Felix crossed his arms over his chest and Sylvain felt his heart plummet, his mouth going dry. "I'm down here because I was awoken at early ass in the morning by a dead kid knocking on my door. And they drag me down here and I find out that... what, Glenn's supposedly alive, too?"

"That thing may wear Glenn's face, but it's not Glenn," Sylvain muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Felix let out a sharp laugh. "Right, just like Dima isn't actually Dimitri, right? So, anyway, I was brought down here and... now I entertain a kid?"

"You could have said no."

Felix tilted his head. "Could I have, though? Everyone seems to think I could have said no."

"I mean, I don't think you would have lived, but you could have said no." Sylvain shifted, letting out a sigh and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Look, if you are able to get out of here, I would suggest you do. The sooner you leave, the better."

"And if I can't?"

Sylvain looked at him, dropping his hand from his neck. "I don't know what to tell you."

Felix moved to grab his shirt and Sylvain took several steps forward, meeting Felix's gaze. They stood that way for a moment longer before Sylvain turned and disappeared, leaving Felix rooted to the spot.

~*~*~*~*~

Edelgard made her way into the station early the next day, stopping in the breakroom to fetch a cup of coffee. When she made her way into the office, she was expecting to be alone, not to find Claude sitting on a desk, legs crossed and staring at the board, a deck of cards in his hand.

“Morning.”

He didn’t spare her a glance as Edelgard put her cup of coffee on the desk, frowning at him. “What are you doing?”

Claude picked up a card, examining the image before he shuffled it back into the desk. “I’m trying to guess what crest will show up next.”

“You seem so certain that one will.”

“Have we stopped them yet?” He gave the remaining cards a shuffle, drawing on up and looking at it. “Which family do you think bore the Crest of Seiros?”

“The Adrestian emperor’s family.” Edelgard sat her bag down in a chair, walking over to Claude. She saw the shimmering gold crest, Claude raising an eyebrow. “I have an interest in Adrestian history, is all. Onto the matter at hand. If we are trying to talk with Manuela, we may as well try and pin Hanneman down as well. I have questions for him.”

“And he’s still avoiding us.”

Edelgard snorted. “That makes me wonder if he knows more than he’s letting on. There is the matter of the opera that Annette Dominic performed at. What do you know about her?" she settled in another chair, pulling her cup of coffee towards her.

"She was the closest person Felix would admit to being friends with. He said she had a nice singing voice and would go once there was a new play she was performing in." Claude shuffled the cards in his hands again, looking at Annette’s picture on the board.

“We might as well head over the opera now.”

“Will they even be open?” Claude asked.

“We won’t know until we show up.” Edelgard stood up, grabbing her bag once more. “Seize the day, let’s go.”

Claude blinked at her. “You’re not even going to finish your coffee, are you?”

She looked down at the mug, picking it up and drowning it before she set it back on the table. “I’ll clean it later, let’s go.”

Claude let out a groan but followed her to the car anyway, his gaze fixed on the back of her head.

~*~*~*~*~

Edelgard stopped outside the building proudly announcing its hosting of the Mittelfrank Opera, the parking lot containing nearly two dozen cars.

“At least we know they’re open. This looks amazing.” Edelgard smirked at him and Claude rolled his eyes. She swung out of her seat, shutting the door and adjusted her shirt, smoothing out a wrinkle and nodding at the building.

"Ever been to the opera?" Claude asked, looking up at the building.

Edelgard cocked a smile. "When I was young. It wasn't this one, though."

Claude nodded. "This is an off-shoot of another company that got too large. Manuela's the leader of this one. I thought you said you’ve seen her here."

It was Edelgard's turn to nod this time. "Okay, so I’ve been to a couple of plays and Ingrid confirmed that Manuela’s husband is Hanneman."

Claude smiled at her. "I’m not going to judge you for coming to the opera. Felix came regularly enough. Come on, let’s get inside before the heat gets to us.." He stepped towards the, allowing Edelgard to take the lead as she walked into the building. A frazzled brown haired woman rushed over to them, frowning.

"We're closed-" she began.

"We're with the FPD," Claude explained, holding up a badge, "here to speak to Mistress Manuela Casagranda about Miss Annette Dominic. I am Claude Riegan and this is Edelgard Hresvelg Is she in?"

The woman let out a huff, tugging at the ends of her hair. "We heard about Annie and I just can't believe... My name is Dorothea. Please, come inside. Manuela isn't in the office at the moment, she's been staying home to grieve but I... I'm the assistant manager."

Edelgard nodded, glancing around the entrance. "We're sorry to stop by unannounced, but I wanted to speak with the troupe as soon as possible."

Dorothea nodded with a smile. "Absolutely, don't worry about it. I'm sorry that we had to meet like this. I... Annette was a very good friend of mine. And a blessing to have in our company."

Claude shifted, Edelgard giving Dorothea a sharp nod. "Yes, it was... a tragedy."

Dorothea's grip tightened and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you going to find the fucker that did this to Annie?"

Claude nodded, relaxing. He could see the reason Felix would be friends with Dorothea, with the steel glinting in her eyes and her spine rigid as she stared Claude down.

"We're doing the best we can-" Edelgard began.

"If you were doing the best you could, Annie wouldn't be dead." Dorothea reached up, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No, that's wrong of me. I understand that what happened wasn't your fault, I just..." Her shoulders slumped and she let out a long sigh. "It's been a long couple of days."

Claude nodded, gaze drifting to Edelgard. "I understand."

Dorothea gestured towards an open office door. "Why don't we talk in my office? It'd be better than standing in the hallway." She turned, heading towards a door. Claude followed, Edelgard looking over the entrance.

They settled down, Dorothea glancing at the pair.

"Miss..." Edeglard looked at her, frowning.

"Dorothea Arnault, assistant manager and singer in the opera. If you two work for the FPD, maybe you can tell me if you've heard from Felix? Annette went to try and speak with him last week, before she disappeared, but he wasn't at his apartment. Actually, it looked like the complex was clearing it out." She sat behind the desk, leaning forward and folding her hands on the desk.

Claude nodded. "We do know Felix; he was my partner for a while."

"Was. Ah, you must be the Riegan he spoke of. Always complaining about you, but fondly. Do you know what happened to him?" Dorothea asked.

Edelgard let out a sigh. "Fraldarius is no longer working at the department, due to... recent events and the light of new evidence that had surfaced on one of the cases he was working. He vanished from his apartment, about two weeks ago, in the middle of August. That would be why you or her would have been unable to find him."

Dorothea narrowed her eyes. "I see."

"Back to the matter at hand. Had Miss Dominic been acting odd before she disappeared?" Claude asked.

Dorothea let out a sigh. "I don't know if... off describes it, really. She was always odd, I suppose. Head in the clouds, always humming little, creative songs. She... was a brush of fresh air, every time she came to practice. To know that..." Dorothea took a moment to collect herself, taking in a breath.

"Do you know if she had any enemies?" Edelgard asked.

Dorothea gave them a sharp laugh. "Everyone loved Annie. Didn't matter if you just met her or if you wanted to hate her. She just had a certain charm to her. So, no, Annie didn't have any enemies. You found her body, didn't you?"

Edelgard nodded. "Yes, we just... want to be certain, is all."

"Were Felix and Annette close?" Claude asked.

Dorothea looked at him, her mouth tugging into the smallest frown. "They were close, yes. Felix loved to come to the opera to see Annette perform. He would bring her flowers and wait backstage, and then they would hang out for hours, talking and catching up. He didn't come often, always opening night but the cast knew him well enough that they knew to let him back here. Are you also looking into his disappearance?"

"We aren't talking about-" Edeglard started.

"We know where Felix was taken, we've been working on ensuring his safety, as best as we can. It seems like Annette was being targeted by a small group of fanatics from the Underground-" Claude began, ignoring Edelgard’s look.

"Riegan!"

Claude glanced at Edelgard, meeting her gaze. "We won't get the full story if we keep hiding parts of our own."

Edelgard breathed out hard through her nose, shaking her head as she turned back to Dorothea.

"There was... some strange people here, last month during one of our performances. After the opera, they were talking to Manuela about Annette, discussing something. I never asked what it was about, figured they were from another troupe and were interested in seeing if she would perform with them, but..." Dorothea shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if anything came out of it.”

"Do you have a number and address for Manuela's home?" Edelgard asked.

Dorothea nodded, grabbing a piece of paper from her desk. She glanced at the pair of them, picking up a pen and writing down the address and number for Manuela. "If she doesn't answer her phone, you can always phone her husband."

"And who is that?" Claude asked.

"Ah, it's the history professor at the local college, Hanneman. They argue like that old married couple that hate each other, but they're sweet together." She jotted down Hanneman's number as well, passing the paper to Edelgard.

She looked at the information, folding the paper and tucking it into the pocket of her jacket. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Arnault. If we have any other questions, we'll be in touch."

Dorothea nodded, getting up from her desk. "Please, if you can find out who did this, please let me know."

"Of course."

The pair left, Claude turning the conversation over in his mind.

When Edelgard got into the car, she looked at the address that had been given to her. “Let’s go pay Manuela a visit. Maybe we’ll get lucky and even catch Hanneman at home.”

"Shouldn't we call first?" Claude listened to the directions that the GPS gave her, his concern noticeable.

Edelgard shook her head. "I don't want to give the woman a chance to run away. No heads up for her. Hanneman knew the troupe well, I would assume. That’s the second dead body that we can link to him."

"Do you think he’s involved? He was out of town for Linhardt’s death. And what makes you think Manuela would give us the slip?"

Edeglard glanced at him. "One of her opera members turns up dead and she hasn't bothered to show up to work since then? It smells fishy to me and you’re right, that’s the other reason. And he’s been avoiding our phone calls."

"Manuela could just be really depressed, which is why she hasn’t been showing up to work. Do we really have to show up like this?"

Edeglard let out a huff. "Either way, it won't hurt. If Manuela isn’t at the opera, where else would she be? And what do you think people did when there weren't cell phones?"

"Call the house beforehand from a payphone or the station phone."

"And if you weren't near a phone?"

Claude opened his mouth, shutting it and looking out the window. Edelgard stopped the car as the GPS announced they were at the house, Claude looking up at it with a frown.

"Something the matter, Riegan?"

Claude shook his head, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. "Would it surprise you if I said I missed Felix? Not that I don't appreciate your company."

Edelgard laughed, smiling at him as she also got out of the car, placing her keys in her jacket pocket. "I'm not surprised that you miss him. I would be more surprised if you didn't."

"I'm not in love with him, Edelgard."

"I didn't say that. You were quick to deny it, however. No one even mentioned being in love with anyone." She walked up the path to the door, Claude taking in the greenery before he followed her. He heard the bell ring through the house, Edeglard taking a step back.

Claude wrinkled his nose, looking towards the door. "Maybe they aren't-"

He was interrupted as the door swung open, a man peering into the afternoon light.

"Good afternoon, my name is-"

"Ah, Claude Riegan, it's a pleasure to see you again! I was wondering when you would come by the house and visit. To what do I owe this pleasant?" The man adjusted his glasses, glancing first at Claude and then at Edelgard.

"Good afternoon, Hanneman. We were given this address by Dorothea Arnault at the Mittelfrank Opera Company. We're looking for Manuela Casagranda," Claude explained, "it's nice to see you as well. And it would have served you well to answer your phone."

Hanneman glanced between the two, letting out a sigh. "Does this have to do with Miss Dominic's death? And I apologize, with the death of Linhardt, there had been some major readjustments to the history department’s course structure. Mr. Hevring was a teacher of his own classes, after all. And with the dig, time just seemed to have gotten away from me."

Edelgard nodded. "My name is Edelgard Hresvelg, I am the current leading detective on the Crest Carver case, working with Claude. Is Manuela in?"

Hanneman let out a sigh, glancing over his shoulder. "She's currently unavailable."

"What does that mean?" Edelgard asked.

"She's passed out drunk."

Claude raised an eyebrow, glancing at Edelgard as the woman opened her mouth. She shut it, frowning and taking a moment to gather herself. "Ah, I see..."

"It's been hard on her. Annette was one of the children that she got to watch grow up in the opera company. She was a special soul, always so helpful, despite being clumsy. She would come over when Manuela needed company the most, bringing sweets one of her friends made. Annette didn't have a stable childhood, her father vanished and left her and her mother." Hanneman shifted, stepping to the side. "You're welcome to come in. Perhaps this would be best, as you have a lot of questions, I am sure."

Edeglard hesitated, shaking her head. "We would rather not intrude at the moment, Mr...?"

"Ah, I'm Hanneman Essar. Linhardt Hevring was a fellow professor at the university and my research assistant, as you know. I met Claude and Felix when they came to investigate last year. Linhardt was the one they spoke with the most, due to his more flexible schedule. How is your partner, Claude?" Hanneman looked at him, Claude letting himself laugh.

"Ah, he disappeared," Claude admitted.

Hanneman raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering back into the house. "I'm sorry to hear that. I do hope you can find him."

Claude nodded, Edeglard pulling out a card from one of her pockets. "If you can let Miss Casagranda know that we are looking for her, that would be greatly appreciated."

"Of course, I will have her call when she’s sober. Ah, Caspar told me you were looking for Linhardt's notes?" Hanneman asked, turning his attention to Claude.

Claude nodded, arms crossed over his chest. "Yeah, we were hoping to see if there were any clues in Linhardt's research. Maybe give us an idea as to why he was targeted. I’m curious to understand exactly what he and you were researching."

Hanneman nodded. "I don’t know much of what Linhardt was researching, his personal project aside… one of the last things he had shared with me as a story that was claimed to be a thousand or so years old. It was about a race of beings with the ability to perform magic."

"And what was so special about these beings?" Edelgard asked, her eyes glinting at the information.

Hanneman gave her a smile. "The magic they could perform. Their ability to transform, and... some thought they contained the ability to have extended long lives. Never proven, of course. But in this story was the story of the birth of the crests."

Claude and Edelgard shared a glance. "And the crests are what Linhardt was studying."

"And what I had an interest in, as well. Linhardt was studying under me, working on his masters and a thesis that he thought would shatter the world as we knew it. The ability to perform magic still courses through some people's blood. This comes in the presence of a crest, if you are descended from one of the bloodlines of those that fled underground." Hanneman shifted, gesturing towards the area behind him. "Would you like to come in?"

Edelgard shifted, glancing at the watch on her wrist. There was more hesitance this time, her mouth pulling into a frown. "We do have some time before we have to return to the station. Do you know if any of this is in Linhardt's notes that Caspar has?"

They followed Hanneman into the house, the man leading them into the dining room. "They should be. I fear he had a god awful amount of notes, with no sense of a system that I could ever determine," Hanneman admitted.

Claude let out a laugh. "Yeah, we’ll keep that in mind."

"Why did he link crests to magic?" Edelgard asked, taking a seat when Hanneman sat himself. Claude looked around the dining room, his gaze landing on a framed photo of the cast in front of the Opera house.

"The crests were a coat of arms, of a sort, to the beings that I spoke of. We never found a name for the race, but there were enough stories and theories. Beings who could perform miracles, heal people with a touch, or cause windstorms. Magic that no longer exists today."

"Not up here," Edelgard murmured, Claude turning his head to look at his partner.

Hanneman frowned at her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ah, pardon me, I didn't mean anything by that. Does Ms. Casagranda drink often...?" Edelgard asked.

Hanneman let out a sigh. "She was three years sober, as of last month. When Annette died, she relapsed."

"That has to be hard on everyone involved." Claude turned, looking towards Hanneman. "How have you been?"

Hanneman shifted, getting up from his chair and walking around the dining room, fiddling with several objects as he went. "We're adjusting to the ever changing world around us, I suppose.

"Hanneman, is there a way to detect if someone has these... crests in their blood still?" Edelgard asked, looking down at the table.

The man paused, turning to look at her. "That… was something I'd been researching, while Linhardt was working on the more historical aspect. If I had a blood sample, I could figure out if there was the odd strain of DNA that would denote the existence of a crest. Of course, the machinery is still unstable, but it has proven it’s worth..."

Claude shifted, letting the man ramble as he glanced at Edelgard. Her head was propped up on her hand, her eyes halfway closed before Claude cleared his throat.

"Hanneman?"

The man stopped, turning to look at them and took in Edelgard's appearance. "Ah, my apologies. Without Linhardt, I have very few people to talk about these things with."

"When you said you needed blood... do you have any of Linhardt’s still on hand?" Clude asked.

Hanneman gave a hesitant nod. "I have a sample. There were two samples he gave, actually. One, I ran with the tests... they're still in the beginning stages, but his blood did show up with the odd strain of DNA."

"And you think that DNA is the crests you guys were looking into?" Claude asked.

Hanneman nodded. "There's no way to know which crest is in the blood, but... Annette was also interested in the research. She thought it might be a fun way to piece together a family tree, after her father..." He grimaced, shaking his head, "her blood also showed up with the strand of DNA that matched with the crest, though her strand appeared different from Linhardt’s own strand. Quite remarkable, if you ask me. I have a theory that each crest has a different strand of DNA that denotes it."

"Could we get the sample you still have of Linhardt's?" Claude asked.

Edeglard looked up at this, frowning at him. "Why would you want that?" she asked.

"I have an idea." Claude glanced at her, throwing a smile over his shoulder.

Hanneman let out a sigh. "Yes, I'll drop off my notes as well to the station tomorrow morning. Would that suffice?"

"Yes, Mr. Essar. Thank you for your assistance," Edelgard murmured, standing up. The trio looked up as Manuela came into the dining room, a hand over her eyes.

"Ah, did I interrupt something?" she asked, sliding past Hanneman.

Claude carefully looked away when he realized Manuela was wearing very little, his gaze fixed pointedly on the wall above Hanneman's head.

"Ah, no, these fine folks from the police department had a few follow up questions on mine and Linhardt's research. They also wish to speak to you about Ms. Dominic once you are sober." Hanneman followed his wife, mouthing an apology over his shoulder.

"I'll call them tomorrow," Manuela said, Edelgard taking Claude's hand and pulling him out of the house after a quick goodbye. Claude let his composure slip when they got into the car, letting out a long exhale.

"So, Manuela."

"She was hungover," Edelgard muttered, staring at the road.

"Hungover enough to not notice three people in the dining room?" Claude asked as she started to drive.

"Let's never speak of it again."

Claude laughed, reaching over and nudging Edelgard.

"What do you plan on doing with the blood?" she asked, glancing at him.

Claude let out a hum, settling back in his seat. "I want to see if it matches with the bodies left behind."

Edelgard gave him a look, turning her attention back to the road. "And if they don't?"

"I don't know," Claude admitted, "but I also don't know if I buy his whole magic in the blood thing, either."

Edelgard shook her head, stopping for a red light. She tapped her finger against the steering wheel, gaze fixed on the road. "I do."

Claude looked at her, frowning. "Because of the Underground."

She nodded even if it wasn't a question. "I wonder if those are really their bodies."

Claude looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"You were the one that wanted the blood, Claude. It's possible that the bodies that were left behind, while made to look like the person that died, aren't them. Getting a blood sample from before their death will be, hopefully, enough to confirm if it is them or not. It was your idea." Edelgard sighed, running a hand over her face.

"Right, I know that but..." Claude let out a sigh. "I wasn't expecting something like that out of you, to be honest."

"Of course, no one does. Let's just get back, finish up our notes for the day, and head home. Sound good?" Edelgard asked.

Claude nodded, his gaze drifting out the window. He wondered, briefly, what it was like underground for Felix while he watched the houses and businesses pass by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri: I wanna find Ingrid!  
> Felix: *first thing that comes to mind* Oh, Ingrid's dead.  
> Sylvain: What the fuck, man
> 
> I always had an intention with Miklan, it just got pushed to the side. But


	16. Golden Notes**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, every chapter up to this point has been revised.
> 
> Any chapter with a * has additional scenes. Chapters with ** have had some major revisions, such as scene shuffling! Which means, I should be back up to my Sunday updating schedules tomorrow. Honestly, I hope you all enjoy the revisions as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Claude picked up his phone as it began to ring, setting the files down. “Detective Riegan, how can I help you?”

“Hey detective, this is Casper Bergliez. I’m outside and I have Linhardt’s notes like you requested. I’m going to need some help bringing them in. Is now a good time to do that? Sorry, I realized that I should have called before showing up at the station, I just...”

Claude ran a hand over his face, glancing around the office. He had adjusted everything to ensure that they would have space for the notes, no matter how many there were. “This is the perfect time. How many boxes are we dealing with? Eight or nine?”

Casper let out a strained laugh. “More like fifty eight.”

“Boxes.”

“Yes.”

“Fifty eight boxes of notes.”

“There’s also some that are still in his office, I haven’t had the chance to clear everything out, mind you. I just wanted to bring what I could while I still had access to my friend’s van. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten them all over here. Is this going to be a problem?”

Claude drew in a breath, plastering on a smile. “Nope, I will be out momentarily to help you bring them in. I’ll round up a few other people too. Give me two minutes.”

He hung up the phone when Casper confirmed, getting up from his seat. As he walked towards the front of the station, he passed by Catherine. “Can you help me for a moment?”

Catherine frowned at him. “What sort of help do you need?”

“I just need help carrying in some boxes of notes that Casper is willing enough to give us of Hevring’s notes.”

Catherine nodded, tossing her paper cup in the wastebasket. “Fine, I got nothing better to do. How many boxes are there?”

Claude let out a laugh. “There’s a few.”

Catherine just raised an eyebrow, the pair heading outside. A van was parked in front of the building, a blue haired man leaning against the door. He glanced up, smiling at waving at them. “I’m Caspar Bergliez, you must be Claude, right?”

Claude nodded, offering him a smile. “That would be me. Let’s see the goods, shall we?”

Caspar turned to the back of his trunk, Catherine looking at the boxes. “How many did you say there were?”

“Fifty eight and these were just the ones he has at home. I don’t know what he has at the office…” Caspar trailed off, letting out a sigh. “I also don’t know if he left important documents and letters in the boxes.”

Catherine rolled her shoulders, smiling. “Let’s get to work then.”

~*~*~*~*~

"Are all of these notes his?"

Claude lifted his cup up as Edelgard breezed into the room, stopping to see the boxes that lined the office. Her gaze tracked through all of them before she stepped closer, Claude giving her a sharp nod. The tables and desks were buried under boxes, with some stacked against the walls.

"Caspar didn't know what was what, so he just brought them all in. Fifty seven and a half banker boxes, Edelard. I'm pulling anything that has anything to do with Crests and... putting them kind of off to the side." He made a gesture at the desk to his left, where there were only four boxes. Everything to the right had a sticky note on them. "I did leave a message on Hanneman’s voicemail asking him for any of the notes Linhardt may have left at the office, along with the blood and his notes on that machine he was telling us about.”

“We won’t have time to go through all of this by ourselves, not if we have more… issues.”

"I'm sure Ingrid would enjoy the time out of the house," Claude suggested, "she's good at sorting mysterious things out. This is our best lead. If whatever Linhardt was studying can give us any sort of clue..."

Edelgard let out a snort, pulling her first box to her. "I don't understand how Hevring managed to find anything in this mess. Why are there sticky notes on some of them?”

“Anything with a sticky note still on it has not been looked at yet. I started trying to move boxes around and then I was too confused as to what went where and so, sticky notes. And knowing him, he probably had a system. Just nothing that we would find usable." Claude shifted in his chair. “Caspar had to borrow his friend’s van to get everything here.”

Edelgard shot him a look. "It makes me wonder what Linhardt really liked to focus on. And there's a chance that these aren't all of them."

"Who would have thought that, after all his talk of constant fatigue, he got this much work done." Claude crossed his arms over his chest, shaking himself as Edelgard headed towards the door.

She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "It would have been interesting to meet him, I suppose. I wonder why he had such an interest in Crests."

"He had an interest in a lot of things. The Crests were just... something he liked since he was a kid, from what I remember." Claude followed Edelgard to her car, toying with his phone.

"Hey, you can have systems that don't make sense to anyone else. I have systems that won't make sense to anyone else. Speaking of systems and not making sense, have you heard-" Claude began.

"No," Edelgard snapped, "and he won't be sending a report until mid September at the earliest, unless he has anything pressing to tell us, then he'll send a message. If I get a message, you'll be the second to know."

"Only the second?" Claude asked, setting his coffee down on a clean part of one of the desks.

"Hubert will tell me, therefore I will be the first to know. You'll be the second, the moment I know. What's your deal with Fraldarius anyway? I thought you didn't really like each other?" Edelgard didn't look up from her work, flipping through papers.

Claude watched her, amazed at how fast she set the box to her left. She pulled the sticky note off, sticking it on a pile he had started in front of him.

"I mean, he's been the only partner that has managed to keep up with me. We work well together, I don't want to-"

"Do you like him?"

Claude blinked at her. "What?"

"Do you like him?"

"Like... Felix?" Claude asked, staring at her.

"It was..." Edelgard let out a huff. "I misread the situation, in the hospital, didn't I?"

Claude gave her a small hand wave, opening the next box and shifting through the papers. "Don’t worry about it. I’m worried about Felix, but he’s… a good friend? I don’t know if it would be great to develop feelings for my partner."

“He’s not your partner any longer, now is he?”

"My feelings for Felix are... complicated. So, why's your hair white?" He put the lid on the box, shuffling it to the left desk before he picked up the next one.

Edelgard watched him, tilting her head. She blinked, looking away from him. "It's... personal, but. There's a reason I have an interest in the Underground."

"And there's a reason you believed Ingrid."

Edelgard let out a hum. "Do you know the history of the founding of Fodlan?"

Claude paused, glancing up at her. "To be honest, history wasn't my strong suit. And I didn't quite grow up in Fodlan, so I learned a different history."

"You're from Almyra, correct?"

Claude nodded. "Mom was from Fodlan, dad's Almyran. Grew up over there, but wanted to learn more about Fodlan, so I came here for college. The weather's not any hotter than where I grew up. In fact, I like the dry heat. Can't say I care much for snow when we do get it."

Edelgard shifted another box to her left, Claude watching her. "I grew up in a small city in the Adrestrian portion of Fodlan, until I was about six. I don't remember much, after that, but when I was a teenager, my mother remarried Lambert Blaiddyd. She died of cancer, shortly after, and I went to live with my father once more. I knew Dimitri in passing, but we were never... close. I wasn't even allowed to attend his funeral, even though I wanted to."

"And... uh, you're telling me... this, why, exactly?"

Edelgard made a face at him. "You have to learn to chase what you want, Riegan."

"Okay, can we stop with the whole last name thing? Catherine's my boss, but you're like... a supervisor, I guess, but it's weird," Claude muttered.

"Oh, so who _can_ call you Riegan?" Edeglard asked.

Claude opened his mouth, closing it. "You know, it just doesn't hit right when someone other than Catherine or Felix does it."

Edeglard arched her eyebrow higher, hands stilling for the first time since he walked into the office.

"In our old office, the second seat was right up against the door. Felix took more doors to the face than I ever did. We had an agreement that we would switch every time one of us got whacked, but sometimes, he just sat down and dared me to make him move." Claude glanced back down at his box, letting out a huff. "I'm not as worried about him as I am... for him? He'll get in over his head long before he ever admits that he's in over his head. He can get hot headed when there's something on the line that _he_ wants and that's where you have to be careful, you know?"

"Riegan..."

"Yeah?"

"You're rambling."

Edeglard turned back to her boxes, squinting at some of the font. She let out a snort.

"Fine. I'm worried that he'll end up on the board behind us."

Edelgard let out a hum. "Be that as it may, he's down there and there’s nothing we can do about it. Unless you plan on storming down there yourself and trying to rescue him.”

Claude barked out a laugh. “I doubt that he would enjoy something like that. He’d be more upset that I was interfering.”

“When he gets back, have a talk with him,” Edelgard suggested, “you are probably the only person who knows Felix well enough that you could get him to listen.”

Claude hesitated before he nodded. “I think I might do that, thank you, Edelgard.”

“You’re welcome.”

~*~*~*~*~

Felix shouldn't have been surprised to wake up with someone knocking on his door. His head pounded and he rolled over in his bed. Maybe, whoever was knocking, would leave him alone. They would get the message and-

"Feeeelix!"

The voice was a whine and the man let out a grunt. Dima had been knocking on his door every day for the past four days at seven without fail. Forcing him out of bed, whining and needling until Felix did just that.

He shook himself, pulling the blanket higher over his head.

"It's possible that Felix just wants to sleep in."

Felix opened an eye when he heard Sylvain's voice, his heart lodged in his throat.

"But-"

"Come on, Dima, it's barely seven in the morning. Let him sleep."

Felix rolled over in bed, looking at the door. He could see it, through the bedroom door which was kept open. The apartment was small, but it still felt spacious and he never even seemed to use the kitchen, with meals being provided in the dining hall and family dinners with Rhea. He could hide in the apartment for days, if he really wanted, but Dima wouldn't let him.

Sylvain had stayed in the Center, hanging out with Dima and Felix. He had made a compromise despite the work that he had to do, fixing what Miklan had fucked up. The least he could do was get out of bed and…

Felix let out a groan before he pulled himself out of bed as Dima's voice shifted, growing more and more whiny. He made his way to the front door, remembering a day when he had sat outside Dima’s house and whined his name..

He opened it just a sliver, his eye showing in the crack. "If you stop whining at my door, I'll join you."

Dima brightened at that, Sylvain rolling his eyes behind him. "You don't have to give in to him, you know."

"Ugh, as if he would stop whining if I don't," Felix muttered, "I'll meet you in the dining hall."

Dima opened his mouth, Sylvain glancing at him. "Come on, I'll race you."

Sylvain took a step forward, a grin crossing his face and Dima let out a protest. "No-" His words were lost as Sylvain took off, Dima chasing after him and Felix shut the door, letting out a sigh and running a hand through his hair.

It took him a few minutes to get dressed, his fingers running over the sleeve of the shirt that Constance had made. He fit in down here, with those clothes. It had been strange, getting used to the turtle neck-vest thing that Constance had come up with, but he didn't mind it now.

They were comfortable, in their own way.

He threw his hair into a ponytail, stepping out of the room and into the hallway. The mild temperature that filtered through all the Underground reminded him that autumn would be moving in soon, with trees changing colors and storms lighting up the sky.

He grimaced, finding himself already at the dining hall. The place was less formal than Rhea's family dinners, other members from the Third Circle filtering in to partake and discuss their days and theories of the moment.

There were a few regulars that Felix was beginning to learn by sight, if not by name. He had seen the glances thrown his way, each person looking for the badge before Dima would grab his hand, pulling him in one direction or another. He remembered one woman, with snow white hair, giving him a look at Dima’s display before she had returned to her reading.

Perched on one of the benches was her now, a book in her lap. She looked up when Felix entered the dining hall but he shifted his course, heading Dima and Sylvain already eating with a third plate for him. She glanced back down at her book, shoulders hunched.

"There's a brawling tournament today. It’s part of the… thing Balthus mentioned a couple days back, when Dominic joined our circle. It’s taking place in the Gold Circle. I'm taking Dima, do you want to come with us?" Sylvain asked as Felix sat across from them, accepting the plate of food.

Felix nodded, sparing Dima only a half glance.

"Tomorrow, is it possible that you and I could hang out, Sylvain?" Dima piped up, eyes wide. 

"Ah, I have work to do down in the Blue Circle, but after I get back. And I have been spending a lot of time with you lately, don’t you get bored of me?" Sylvain asked, toying with his fork.

"But you just got back," Dima muttered, "Can't Dedue or Byleth handle the Circle for a while longer? They managed it all when Miklan was a general. You’re never up here to hang out with me." Dima pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Felix felt the urge to point out that Sylvain had been up there all week, but he suppressed it, stabbing a fork into one of the sausages.

Sylvain shifted, his smile dropping for just a second before he pulled it back on. "We all have our specialized touch in handling the Circles, Dima. There's stuff that I have to do, like budgeting the financial aid, that Dedue nor Byleth can do, let along begin to understand. Stuff that Miklan was shit at and left rot for years."

Felix blinked at them. "Financial aid?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's making sure the people have what they need. They’re supposed to be submitted twice a year, and the budget report is due."

"To who?" Felix asked, so thrown by the fact a budget report would be normal.

"Rhea."

Dima frowns at Sylvain when he says the name, fiddling with his fork. "Mother has been in a strange mood, lately."

"Oh?" Felix asked, sliding his gaze to Dima.

Sylvain shrugged. "Rhea's always in a strange-"

"She's not!" Dima snapped, eyes flashing. He shifted in his seat, hunching his shoulders. "It doesn't matter. Are we leaving soon to see the tournament?"

Sylvain studied Dima, glancing at Felix. They weren't the only ones in the hall, but no one paid attention to Dima's outburst. "We'll be leaving after breakfast."

Felix looked down at this plate, stomach suddenly in knots.

"Is Balthus participating in the tournament?" Dima asked, turning to Sylvain.

Sylvain let out a hum, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if he is or not, actually. I haven't seen him for the past couple of days..."

"He mentioned that he had business down in the Gold Circle three nights ago," Felix said, more comfortable with Yuri's group than he was with Dima and the others. At least there, Felix felt like he was on equal footing, surrounding himself with living, breathing people.

Sylvain nodded, giving him an odd look. Felix ignored it, finishing his food and returning the plate to the stack of already dirty dishes. Dima bounded after him, reaching out and taking his hand.

"You'll enjoy the tournament," Dima said with a smile. "I've wanted to participate in the past, but I'm not allowed to."

"Yeah, with your brutish strength, you'll kill someone by accident." Sylvain tosses the comment out there without any worry as he joins the pair, hand in his pockets. Dima gives him a look, eyes narrowing, but he just turns his attention to Felix, prattling on and on.

Felix closed his eyes, opening them when they started walking once more.

It was quiet as Sylvain led him to the same strange door that Yuri had led Felix through. When they stepped inside, the lights dimmed before they lit up once more, Sylvain pressing his hand to a slot and, when the doors opened again, the gold light of the first circle filtered in.

Dima pulls Felix forward, the laughter and press of people catching them up in its stream. Sylvain stayed by their side easily, hand drifting to take Felix's free one.

"So, welcome to the Gold Circle, home of the Deer."

Felix glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It's stupid, but each circle has an animal they like," Dima muttered, "mother says it's to give them a sense of idenity, so they have something to... hold close to themselves?"

Sylvain nodded in agreement. "It's not really utilized, it's something from one of the old systems, I think. When this place was first beginning."

The trio made their way to a large dirt ring, resting just past the carefully crafted vendor streets. Felix looked up to judge the sky before he dropped his gaze down, remembering where they were. They wouldn't have to worry about the weather affecting this.

"Gautier!"

Sylvain turned when he heard his name, a man with purple hair striding their way. Felix took in the cut, the long hair on the right side of his face, with the left almost in a buzz cut and muffled his laugh into a cough. He had seen this man before in the sanctuary, sometimes hovering around the white haired woman.

"Ah, hello Lorenz, what do I owe this pleasure?" Sylvain asked, fixing the smile on his face just a little higher.

"Are you participating in today's festivities?" Lorenz asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sylvain rolled his eyes. "Nope, I'm waiting for the big battle between factions, ya know, for control of the Underground." He gestured to Dima. "Really, I'm just taking the Prince out to enjoy some fun," he added at Lorenz's look of terror.

Lorenz let out a snort. "You could do more to take your job seriously, Gautier. You're a disgrace to the Generals."

"But, Sylvain can wield the Lance of Ruin, which makes him more qualified for the job than you," Dima snapped.

“Hey now, if anyone was a disgrace, it was Miklan, but thanks. I’m glad to know that I’m still skating rock bottom. Can’t get anyone’s hopes up with me actually putting effort into something, right?”

"And who's this?" Lorenz asked, opting to ignore Sylvain’s question in favor of studying Felix.

Felix crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes. "Soemone who doesn't have to talk to people with stupid haircuts."

"My hair is not-" Lorenz began, his eyes going wide. "How dare you- As if you’re one to talk! Bad haircuts, unbelievable."

"Hey, Gloucester, your hair really is stupid," Sylvain said, "but, it could be a lot worse. He used to have this horrible almost bowl cut with an undershave. It was absolutely the worst. His hair may be hard to look at like this, but it's not a tragedy, at least."

"You-" Lorenz spluttered, his face heating up red. "It is unbecoming of your status to-"

"What are you doing down in the Gold Circle anyway?" Sylvain asked. "I thought it wasn't 'your style'?"

Lorenz bristled, his gaze darting from Sylvain to Felix. "That is none of your business."

"Ah, but, I can make it my business." Sylvain took a step closer, the humor leaving his face. "What do you want?"

"I am here to join in on the festivities." Lorenz took a step back, his gaze darting to Dima, who was tugging on Felix's hand and pointing something out. Felix only half nodded to him, glancing from Lorenz to Sylvain.

"Felix," Dima whined and he let himself be dragged away, his gaze dragged from Sylvain. They stopped in front of a booth full of wooden weapons and Felix frowned. “Can I get one?”

"Don't you already have weapons?" he asked.

Dima shook his head. "I don't like Lorenz. He looks at Sylvain funny. I don’t really want one. I justed wanted away."

Felix fixed his stare on the pair, watching as Sylvain waved the man off, gesturing to where Felix and Dima had disappeared to. Dima tugged on Felix's hand once more and he let his attention be turned to the booth, Dima pointing out the pros and cons of each item with more sureity than Felix himself felt.

Sylvain joined them a moment later, disgruntled as he gestured towards the grounds. "First match is going to start in fifteen minutes. Why don't we head to the stands?"

Dima nodded and they made their way over. Felix could see people sporting blue and gold, with a small smattering of red every once in a while. Horses were snorting in their stables and Sylvain lead them to a reserved section higher up in the stands.

“What is this, exactly?” Felix asked, looking around them.

"It's a jousting and brawling tournament. We hold magic tournaments, but those are kept in the Third Circle. It looks like Ferdinand von Aegir is going to be competing today," Sylvain murmured, taking his seat. Felix sat next to him, Dima taking the seat on Felix's left.

"Ferdinand is an excellent jouster," Dima commented, "he's a rising star in the Second Circle. It would be cool if the pegasi were still around, I want to see jousting with pegasi."

"Ah, but they aren't around anymore," Sylvain murmured, "and even if they were still around, they wouldn't do well in the Underground. Not enough sky for them."

Dima pouted, but kept his gaze fixed on the grounds below. The brawling tournament began, Felix sitting back in his seat to watch.

It felt like any other festival he had seen with his father, when he was younger. It reminded him of the faires Glenn enjoyed going to, the fairs that they stopped attending when Felix was eleven.

"You should compete, Sylvain."

Sylvain looked down at Dima, frowning. "It's too-"

"You joust?" Felix asked, surprised.

Sylvain let out a huff of laughter, glancing away. "I know how to use a lance-"

"He does!" Dima interrupted, shooting Sylvain a look. "He's just down playing it because he thinks it isn't cool to talk about in front of… potential partners? Is that what you called them last time, Sylvain?"

"Hey now, it is cool and Felix is not-" Sylvain protested, halting his sentence. He cleared his throat, looking away from Felix, "I just don't like showing off."

"That's a riot."

Felix twisted in his seat, watching as Constance made her way into the box.

"We all know that Sylvain Gautier lives for showing off. And wooing women."

Sylvain threw up his hands, letting out a sigh. "No, I-"

"Maybe he likes showing off, but he also likes taking care of people who like him," Felix retorted, "so a little bit of showing off is fine."

Constance scoffs, taking the seat next to Dima. "I can't believe Balthus entered the contest. I can’t believe he is hosting two so he can compete."

Sylvain shrugged a shoulder. "It's not exactly against the rules for us to enter, Coco."

"Yes, but he should consider it cheating. The others don't stand a chance against him." Still, she settled in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. "How are you, Dima?"

Dima gives her a shrug, eyes fixed on the ring. "I'm betting Ferdinand will do good!"

"Well," Felix commented, Dima glanced at him with a frown. "You want to use the word 'well', not good. Ferdinand will not do 'good' as he is not performing acts to help another, so it would be he is doing 'well'."

Dima wrinkled his nose, snorting. "Well, whatever, he's going to win."

Constance let out a chuckle. "Are you secretly an English teacher under that prickly appearance of yours?" she asked.

"Whatever, I’m not, but proper grammar doesn’t hurt anyone. He’s a kid, he doesn’t need bad habits," Felix muttered.

Sylvain laughed, settling as the first jousters took the field. “You’re probably right about that. He doesn’t need more bad habits.” 

Felix listened to Sylvain's running contimentary once the game actually started, Dima adding his own thoughts. The undercurrent of a deeper voice surprised Felix and he looked over, studying the child.

He was watching the game, tracking the movement of the horses and could name each player that took the field, explaining their strengths and weaknesses. Even Constance threw in a few of her own comments, Sylvain growing more and more thrilled as Ferdinand worked his way through the ranks.

The final jousting match, between Ferdinand von Aegir and Lorenz Gloucester, was set to be held once the brawling tournament -a free for all whose only goal was to tap someone out with a paint assigned to them- was at an end.

They broke for lunch, Constance being dragged out of the box by a chattering Dima, who had opinions on everything that had happened. Sylvain leaned back in his seat, letting out a sigh as he looked at the ring.

"Are you not having fun?"

Felix glanced at his... he wasn't sure what Sylvain was, exactly, but looking at him now made his heart jump. "It's fine, I guess. So, you still joust?"

Sylvain shrugged. "I haven't had reason to lately. It's... not something that I do often, not anymore. But, yeah, I still joust."

"And you didn't participate in the..." Felix glanced at the ring, Sylvain letting out a sigh.

"Technically, generals are barred against participating in tournaments. Balthus hosts two brawling tournaments. One that he gets to participate in and one he doesn't. Jousting is set up by myself and Dedue, which is what I was working on when you joined us. Constance and Yuri host a magic tournament." Sylvain straightened in his seat, looking down at the arena. "Want to meet Ferdinand? He's doing pretty good in the lists himself, this year. Last year, he took third place, overall. Lost to Lorenz, who in turn lost to a woman named Leonie Pinelli. I think he’s gunning to get Lorenz back for the loss last year."

Felix frowned. "Fine. And if she won the last game, why isn't she here now?"

He followed Sylvain out of the box, heading down the ground. Sylvain glanced over his shoulder. "She has to wait another three months before she can participate again. This way, we don't get the same winners over and over."

"I see." Felix crossed his arms over his chest as they walked, taking in everyone around them. They were cheary, sweets and foods being exchanged as children laughed, holding up wooden lances and swords, challenging each other.

Sylvain swerved for the quieter grounds, heading into a tent and smiling as he cleared his throat. "Hello, Ferdinand, Lorenz."

The two men looked up from where they were polishing their lances, Lorenz's face pinched as he looked from Sylvain to Felix. He set his lance aside, heading out of the tent without a word.

Ferdinand rolled his eyes, standing up and setting his own weapon aside. "Sylvain! I am ever so pleased that you have come down to watch the tournament during the Horsebow moon! I was uncertain if you were going to make it! I have many thanks to offer you for such a wonderfully hosted event."

Sylvain let out a laugh, meeting Ferdinand in a hug halfway across the tent. "The young Prince wanted to come and see the tournament for himself. Balthus mentioned it in passing and he has been very persistent about coming down since." Sylvain took a step back even as Felix shifted his stance, arms crossed over his chest, posture stiff.

Ferdinand smiled at Sylvain, his eyes filled with warmth before he glanced at Felix. "And who is this?"

"This," Sylvain says with almost a flourish to his movements, "is Felix Fraldarius. He is one of the Prince's tutors."

"I-" Felix began, his eyes growing wide as Sylvain smiled at him.

"He tutors the Prince in languages,” Sylvain says helpfully.

Ferdinand raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how delightful to make your acquaintance, Felix. I didn’t know the young prince was interested in learning other languages. I am Ferdinand von Aegir."

"Yes, you have to state your name at the start of every match."

Ferdinand opened his mouth, blushing and looking away. "Well, yes, that is..."

"No worse than the purple haired asshole," Felix muttered.

Ferdinand let out a huff. "Lorenz has a certain... flare, I'm sure."

"Sure, you just have to dig in dee-" Sylvain began.

"Ah, that is more than I need to know," Ferdinand said with a lift of his hands. Felix honed in on the wedding band, cocking an eyebrow.

"So, you're married?"

Ferdinand blinked at him, looking down at his hand. "Ah, that is..." He slipped the ring off his finger, placing it in his pocket. "It's a good luck charm, more than anything."

"And has it helped?" Sylvain asked, “you seem to be doing pretty well this year.”

Ferdinand lifted an eyebrow, a smile plastered across his face. "I suppose we'll have to see, with how today goes, won't we? The best luck is training to secure your position, in the end. There's one last round, but it won't be for a while yet. Please, allow me the honor of showing your friend around the grounds."

Felix made a face but Sylvain nodded in agreement. "That would be wonderful. I am going to see where Constance has dragged Dima off to, make sure she doesn't spoil his appetite."

Felix opened his mouth, watching Sylvain stride out of the tent. He gave Sylvain's back a snort, turning to look at Ferdinand, arms crossed over his chest.

"Idiot," Felix muttered, Ferdinand making a face.

"I would think it would do well to not-"

"Not you," Felix replied, turning to him, "Sylvain."

Ferdinand nodded, letting his shoulders drop. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Felix. I've heard so much about you."

Felix grimaced at him. "And how have you heard me?"

"I believe we have some... mutual friends, above." Ferdinand glanced upwards, searching the darkness for the top of the cavern system. He pulled the wedding ring back out of his pocket, sliding it onto his finger.

"Ah, you are that Ferdinand, I take it?" Felix asked, turning as Ferdinand shifted, tossing his hair over his shoulder.

"Yes, but no one _else_ knows that."

Felix uncrossed his arms, waving a hand in the air. "I'm not about to rat you out. I... do you have a way to… send something across?"

Ferdinand grimaced, shaking his head. "Not here, later tonight. It would be an honor to have dinner with you, if it so pleases you."

"Does your husband know you're a shameless flirt?" Felix asked.

Ferdinand blinked at him, his smile dropping a fraction of an inch. "I-"

Felix shook his head. "The only thing Sylvain couldn't stand when he was thirteen was someone flirting more than him. Didn't understand it back then and I still don't understand it."

"Well, for the record, I'm not married. How does dinner together sound, for tonight?"

"Then ditch the... fancy good luck charm." Felix hesitated, caught between wanting to pat Ferdinand on the shoulder and just walking away. "People might get ideas."

Ferdinand opened his mouth, closing it and furrowing his eyebrows. He shifted about on his feet for half a minute before Felix let out a sigh.

"Are you going to show me around or are we just going to stand here in awkward silence?"

"Right!" Ferdinand clapped his hands, the confusion dropping completely. "Of course, I'll show you around. How are you finding the tournament so far? Are you enjoying yourself?"

Felix gave the man a half shrug, his gaze darting around as they finally left the tent. It felt almost less oppressive out here, with others around. "It's not the worst thing I've seen around. What does the winner get?"

Ferdinand frowned. "We do this for the glory of combat, not for any meager prize-"

"Right, forget I asked. How do you keep horses down here?" Felix glanced at the stables, wrinkling his nose. Even as a child, he had never been particularly fond of horses.

"I'm sure they've developed different abilities over the years. They're very friendly, would you like to see them up close?" Ferdinand asked, already half shifting to change directions to the stables.

Felix stared at the back of Ferdinand for half a second before he followed him. "Sure. So, where do you want to go for dinner tonight?"

Ferdinand glanced back at him, his gaze shifting. "Ah, we can have a private rendezvous in my home. I'll give you the address or I can walk with you to my home, after I have won."

Felix nodded, glancing once more at the darkness above them. Soft, golden light filtered around them, lighting their path and never truly leaving them in darkness.

"Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, after some debating, I am going to be revising some of the previous chapters and moving some scenes around, as I realized earlier this afternoon that there are some... wonky areas and scenes that are in the later chapters that should really. Be in earlier chapters. So, I'll mark "revised" on each chapter that gets revisions.
> 
> But, this is for the betterment of the story. And also, I don't ever plot/outline, so stories get wonky. I'm working on that.
> 
> But, that also means, until all the actual revisions are done, updates are gonna also be wonky. Sorry about the confusion there.


	17. Dinner Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing an interaction that flowed naturally between Felix and Ferdinand was.... hard.
> 
> Also, hello, hello! I have made some revisions in everything that has been posted. Anything marked with one * has additional scenes added to it. Chapters 15 and 16 have been restructured and I do highly suggest going through and rereading them.
> 
> I uh, put in some plot related information that had slipped my mind as well. So, that got cleaned up. I plan on tackling the rest of the edits and revisions through the week, so we're back on regular updating track. I think. I did fix the two separate timeline issues that were going on. Where the Underground was working about three weeks ahead of what I had topside. I think that was the biggest revision.
> 
> A chunk of this chapter was originally in chapter 16, however I removed the bulk of this chapter and put it in 15, which then got pushed into 16. So, If it seems familiar, that's why!

Felix settled back in the box that Sylvain had claimed as their own once the announcement was made that the brawling was about to begin. Dima was swinging his legs, his hands full of some sticky treat or another that Felix rolled his eyes at.

Sylvain, for all his promises, didn't reappear until the brawling match had begun.

Felix rested his chin in the palm of his hand, his eyes half lidded as he stared across the field. He could make out Balthus, the man's gauntlets gleaming in the unnatural light, along with the other contestants, most of whom had gray pigment smudged across the back of their clothing.

"I see they're all trying to jump on Balthus and take him out before they go for each other."

Felix jolted when he heard Sylvian's voice, the man sliding into the seat next to him. He flashed Felix a smile, winking at him before he looked back at the field.

"They don't seem to be making much headway," Felix commented.

Sylvain nodded in agreement. "They never do. Balthus is like a wall in that regard. He's using blunted weapons with chalk on them, but there would be piles of bodies if he weren’t."

Constance laughed, glancing at the pair. "Oh, Balty wouldn't do anything to hurt the others, he just wants to have a little fun, you know?"

"Are they going back to the jousting after this?" Dima asked, squinting down at the field.

Sylvain reached over Felix, ruffling Dima's hair. "Yep, it's going to be the finals in the jousting after this. Then, we're going to meet up with Balthus and head back to the center."

"Ah, I have dinner plans with Ferdinand." Felix shifted in his seat, feeling the dead weight of Sylvain's arm as it came to rest across his shoulder, his hand just inches away from Dima's head now.

"Oh, did he talk you into having dinner with him?" Sylvain murmured, voice low.

Felix rolled his eyes. "It's not like there's any rules against me having dinner with someone, is there?" he demanded.

Sylvain shrugged, withdrawing his arm. "I just didn't think Ferdinand would be your style."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, with how you were looking-"

Sylvain let out a grunt as Felix elbowed him in the gut, narrowing his eyes. "It is not a _date_ , Gautier."

Sylvain rubbed his side, watching the anger that flared in Felix's eyes. "Right, right, not a date. Bad joke, sorry."

Felix turned back to watch as Balthus pummeled the ever living shit out of the people that tried to approach him from all angles. Soon, the fight was called, Balthus the only one remaining without any marks on his clothing. Constance smiled in her seat, nodding as the man retreated from the field.

"Do you think I could learn how to brawl like that?" Dima asked, pulling Sylvain's attention to him once more. 

"Maybe you could ask Balthus to give you some lessons when he has free time," Sylvain suggested, "but you'd also have to keep up with your lance work as well."

Dima stuck his tongue out at Sylvain. "I don't like the weapon that Mother makes me fight with. It feels... weird."

"Yeah, I don't blame you there. Hey, maybe Felix will spar with you. Lance to sword, what do you say?" Sylvain asked, turning to look at Felix.

Felix frowned at him, Dima tugging on his hand.

"You should spar with me, Felix!" Dima grinned at him, the door opening as Balthus sauntered in, his gloves tucked under this arm.

"Ah, you came out!" He grinned, dropping in the seat next to Constance.

"Balthus, will you teach me to brawl?" Dima asked, turning to face the man, eyes bright.

The man let out a laugh, smiling at Dima as he gave him a nod. "Sure, we can take a few rounds. It wouldn't be too bad to know some hand to hand, right?"

Dima nodded in agreement. "Felix also said he would spar with me!"

"I did not!" Felix protested, narrowing his eyes at Dima. The child looked back at him, frowning at Felix.

"You're here because of me, so you can't be mean to me now."

Sylvain let out a sigh. "It's still a choice of if Felix wants to spar with you or not, Dima. You can't expect him to just do whatever you want because he's here."

“Mother said that Felix was to do as I bid.” Dima stared at Sylvain, daring him to argue.

"Fine, I'll spar with you." Felix narrowed his eyes as Dima grinned at him. He turned his attention back to the field, watching as Lorenz and Ferdinand took the field. Balthus leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees.

"This is the match I've been waiting for," Balthus admitted, "though I thought Lorenz was going to lose his cool during that third match."

Sylvain scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Lorenz doesn't have much patience. He's going to be upset when he loses."

"Oh, you think he will lose?" Constance asked, a smile crossing her face.

Felix crossed his arms over his chest, watching the pair. "They both aren't very patient." He watched as Ferdinand shifted his grip on the reigns, lance tucked under one arm. Lorenz tossed his hair, his clothes glittering in the light.

The horses tossed their heads, snorting and the bell rang, the pair thundering towards each other. Ferdinand flicked his wrist just lightly, sending his pole crashing into Lorenz's chest.

Lorenz fell off his horse and onto his ass, Sylvain letting out a low whistle.

"That's going to bruise."

Felix watched as Lorenz picked himself up, brushing off the back of his pants and headed back to the start. Ferdinand finished the loop, letting his horse rest at the starting line as Lorenz checked his mount over.

They were both given new poles and they were off, Dima clapping his hands together and laughing as Ferdinand unseated Lorenz once again.

"He's been training," Constance said with a hum.

"Hey, isn't that the guy you've been having help you?" Balthus asked, squinting down at the ring.

Constance let out a sigh. "Perhaps you should look into glasses, Balthus. I swear, your sight is getting worse by the day. Yes, that is Ferdinand. He enjoys jousting, you know. He took third in the previous tournament."

Balthus laughed, shaking his head. "Well, it's good to know he's good at something, I guess."

"He wouldn't be helping me if he didn't grasp the things I speak about, Balty. Oh, Lorenz scored his first point."

Felix looked back at the field, seeing Ferdinand adjust himself on the horse. Lorenz may have scored, but he hadn't managed to unseat Ferdinand, much to Lorenz's disgust. He tossed his hair over his shoulder, both men taking their places once more.

"He did it on purpose," Sylvain commented.

Felix glanced at him with a frown. "Ferdinand?"

Sylvain nodded. "Look how he's sitting on his horse. He wants to take the final point at two-two, is my bet. Lorenz has been increasingly agitated since they started the match. Ferdinand is doing it on purpose."

Felix glanced back down at the men, scratching the side of his head. "Why though?"

"Because Lorenz's an asshole? It makes him look worse for Ferdinand to give him two points, and then for him to pluck the third from Lorenz."

Felix watched as Lorenz struck another point, leaning forward in his seat.

"See what I mean?" Sylvain asked, gesturing down towards the ground. Ferdinand righted himself, adjusting his grip on his pole. "He wasn't even holding the pole right. He's making a mockery of Lorenz and Lorenz knows it. Which means Lorenz hasn’t been practicing as much as he should be. He did well in the last tournament, but… without keeping it up, it doesn’t mean anything."

“He shifted his interests elsewhere,” Constance mused, “and is only doing this to pass the time.”

Felix watched as Lorenz adjusted himself on his horse, though they were too far away to make out individual expressions. The fifth match started and Ferdinand shifted, letting his horse run. He adjusted his grip and ploughed into Lorenz, unseating him once again.

Dima clapped his hands, letting out a gasp of surprise. "Ferdinand did so well!"

Sylvain laughed, glancing over at him. "Yeah, he sure did, didn't he?" He pulled his hand from around Felix's shoulders, placing it back on his lap.

Balthus stood up, stretching. "Well, I'm going to get the next brawling segment set up. Glad to see Ferdinand hasn't lost any of his flair."

"I'll go with you!" Constance said, standing and brushing off her skirt. "I want to congratulate the winner." She winked, threading her arm through Balthus's and the pair walked away. Dima watched the grounds, frowning.

"Can we stay for the next brawling segment?" he asked, glancing at Sylvain.

Sylvain nodded, stretching his arms over his head. "You know what, yeah, sure. You’ve been behaving today, Dima, thank you. Hey, stay here for a moment. I'm going to grab Ferdinand and bring him up."

Felix watched him walk away, Dima shifting in his seat. Lorenz had walked off the field, Ferdinand staying in the ring long enough to collect the prize.

"Do you like Ferdinand?"

Felix glanced at Dima, frowning. "He's not the worst person, I suppose."

"Are you going to leave us again?"

Felix restrained the groan that threatened to overtake him. "I don't plan on leaving anytime soon, Dima."

"Then don't go with him tonight. If you really don't plan on leaving, you don't need any other friends. I'm enough, aren't I?" Dima looked up at him, blinking those bright blue eyes of his.

Felix shook his head. "I have to be able to do things other than watch over you, as well," he began.

"You're down here because of me. That means you shouldn't have to do anything else but play with me."

Felix closed his eyes, reopening them as he looked back at the ring. "Dima, that is not something I can agree to. Yes, I will be your friend, but I will not let you control my life."

He glanced over, watching as Dima shifted in his seat, his eyes flashing dangerously. Felix's hand drifted to his sword, watching as the child shifted, getting to his feet.

"Right, you would never make a promise to me like you did Sylvain." His voice was lower and he took a step back, hurt plain in his eyes.

"What promise?" Felix asked, jaw tightening as Dima let out a low growl, his form flickering. Felix stood from his seat, taking a step back as the thing changed. The illusion rippled and Felix found himself facing down the monster he had seen in the station.

He took another step back, finding the wall of the box pressing against his back much too soon, his mouth dry as the monster raised a hand. It was descending, coming down almost too slowly as Felix rolled to the side, the first making contact with the wall.

The Blaiddyd spirit gave a roar of anger, lurching towards Felix and he threw up a thanks to whatever was listening that this beast was slower than him. He slid along the wall, watching the spirit orientate itself, mouth pulled into a snarl.

"You're mine," he snapped.

Felix scoffed, finding the sword in his hands, blade pointed at Blaiddyd. "Maybe you should learn some manners. It would make you easier to get along with!"

Blaiddyd gave another snarl, lunging once more and Felix ducked, the door swinging open.

"Felix-"

The door smacked Blaiddyd in the head, the spirit snorting and taking a step back. Sylvain stepped into the box, gaze cutting between the two of them.

"I was gone for like, five minutes. What the hell did you do?" Sylvain directed the question at Blaiddyd, the man rubbing his head as he blinked. Whatever damage Sylvain caused had forced him to change back, the child sniffing and rubbing his nose with his other hand.

"Felix was being mean."

Felix rolled his eyes, sheathing his sword. "I was making a statement. He decided that I was being mean."

Sylvain sighed. "Come on then, let's go home." He held his hand out to Dima, the child hesitating.

"But-" he began, glancing towards the field.

"Your actions have consequences, Dima. Losing your temper because Felix's personality is 'asshole' does not give you any right to try and kill him. We're going home." Sylvain glanced at Felix, the man grimacing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Dima grunted, turning and heading towards the door. He cast Felix a look, grimacing. "I guess it doesn't matter cause he broke the promise anyway."

Felix watched him walk away, Sylvain frowning at Dima's retreating back. His gaze shifted to Felix, letting out a sigh. "What were you arguing about?"

"Something about a promise, I don't know what he was talking about." Felix pushed back a stray strand of hair, tucking it behind his hair.

"Oh," Sylvain said, "I... well, I better get him back to Rhea before he decides to get even more angry. Ferdinand will be waiting for you at his tent. I'll let Rhea know that you won't be at dinner tonight. Will you be okay to get there on your own? Ferdinand is down the stairs."

Felix nodded, glancing at Sylvain. "I'll be fine."

Sylvain gave him another look before he followed Dima out of the box. Felix watched him go, tilting his head in thought before he pushed the idea away.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix stood in the tent, arms crossed over his chest. He was tapping his foot as Ferdinand shifted, moving about and adjusting things. There was a look on his face, Felix scowling as he paused.

"Are we going or not?" he asked, breaking into the tension that had laid among them.

"Ah, right, right, I was just-" Feridnand stopped, frowning. "There was a book..."

"Looking for something?"

Ferdinand closed his eyes, letting out a sigh before he plastered a smile on his face, turning to meet Lorenz's gaze. "Ah, just a notebook. What can I do for you, Lorenz?"

Felix glanced between the two, throwing his hands up with a sigh. "At this rate, I may as well just go back." He had spent nearly twenty minutes watching while Ferdinand searched and he was impatient.

Lorenz glanced at him, narrowing his eyes before he shook his head. "No, I'll only be a moment. You have some interesting handwriting, Ferdinand." He held out a notebook, Ferdinand moving to snatch it away.

"Why were you going through my things?" he demanded.

Lorenz stiffened, arms crossed over his chest. "Why did you cheat in the joust?"

"I did not cheat."

"You threw two matches. Why?"

Ferdinand frowned at him, glancing towards Felix, who just threw his hands up and started to walk towards the door.

"I did not-" Ferdinand began, his eyes going wide. “You dare impugn my honor?”

"Bullshit."

Felix sighed, heading outside the tent and crossing his arms over his chest. There was a clatter behind him, Lorenz leaving the tent with a flick of his hair. He glanced at Felix, narrowing his eyes.

"He's a mockery to everything we stand for."

"You stand for something?" Felix asked, Lorenz glancing at him.

Lorenz opened his mouth, shutting it with a snort. "You don't understand what living in the Underground is truly like."

"You were born here, weren't you?" Felix asked, glancing back at the tent.

Lorenz hesitated. "I suppose, but what does it matter to you?"

"Just curious."

Felix turned as he saw Ferdinand hesitate upon seeing Lorenz still at the tent. The man rolled his eyes, turning and leaving the area. Ferdinand sighed, running a hand through his hair as he joined Felix.

"Did you really throw the two bouts?" Felix asked, gesturing for Ferdinand to lead the way.

Ferdinand grimaced, leading the way through the maze of vendors and towards the outer wall of the second ring. "Nothing as complicated as that. Lorenz... didn't do much training, between the last tournament and this one. He didn't do any at all, actually. He was that confident in his win. I wanted to see what would happen, if he would lose his temper."

"He just seems pissed."

Ferdinand shrugged. "Lorenz is a complicated man. He has his faults, as many as they are. He's a devout believer of Seiros."

Felix paused at that, watching Ferdinand walk up to a door. He keyed in a number, the door opening and he gestured for Felix to enter. The man did so, the distant sounds of the fields suddenly cut off as the door slid shut behind Ferdinand.

The door on the other side opened and they left, the dim light of blue filtering in through the lights around them. It wasn’t nearly as complicated as the warps Sylvain and Yuri used.

"And you aren't?"

Ferdinand shifted, glancing over his shoulder as the pair made their way through the pathways. The corridors were about as large as an eight lane highway, vendor stalls set up though they were empty for the time being. Doors were set against the wall, signs proclaiming the different shops that were hosted inside, though most were marked 'closed'.

"I have different views, that much is true." Ferdinand paused, glancing at Felix.

Felix stopped when Ferdinand did, glancing away from him. He looked at the doors, frowning when he noticed the signs switched from hosting business addresses and street names to simply numbers. Ferdinand walked up to one door, painted a sea green, and inserted a key, unlocking it.

Once they were both inside, Ferdinand closed and locked the door, pressing his hand briefly against the frame before he took a step back, nodding to himself.

"We can speak freely." Ferdinand turned, taking his coat off and putting it up on a hook. "There's a silencing spell in place that I take the utmost precautions to enact every time I am here."

Felix glanced around the room, finding it to be similar enough to his own room, though where he had electricity, Ferdinand's did not.

"How long have you been down here?" Felix asked, following Ferdinand around the small apartment. A door was shut, blocking his view of what he assumed was Ferdinand's bedroom.

Ferdinand moved around the apartment, sitting down long enough to pull off his shoes. They found their place next to the door, the man unwilling to sit still. "Long enough. I go to the surface once about every two months if I can, and I deliver missives to Edelgard every other week. Once a month if nothing has happened, but I do try to get a brief message up that I am still alive."

Felix nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "And when you last went up?"

"About three weeks ago, now. I was supposed to introduce you as a dancer for one of the ceremonies Rhea was going to perform. Constance had asked for anyone that I might... recommend. Obviously, those plans were not..." Ferdinand hesitated, letting his shoulders slump. "Well, you know what happened."

"The... prince knocked on my door at three in the morning and whisked me down here much to everyone's dismay, I'm sure." Felix swallowed, shifting his stance. He followed Ferdinand into the kitchen, watching as he began heating the stove.

"Right, right." Ferdinand frowned, shaking his head as he snapped his fingers, a flame jumping onto the wood and eating it greedily. He looked over his shoulder at Felix, offering him a grimace. "It's weird. Since I've come down here, I've found myself with the ability to do... tricks like that. Constance has also been teaching me magic, in our spare time."

"Did I ask?"

"No, but it looked like you might, I may as well answer before you do." Ferdinand stood up, running a hand through his hair. He had discarded the gloves he had been wearing earlier, Felix taking in the state of his hands.

"What do you get out of inviting me to dinner?"

Ferdinand shrugged. "I was hoping we could use the time to discuss what's been happening with you. I have a report I'm sending up shortly and... maybe you could include whatever useful details you have as well?"

"I don't know what you consider useful..." Felix uncrossed his arms, studying Ferdinand. "Do you have paper and a pen I can use?"

"Yes, give me one moment."

Felix was left alone in the kitchen as Ferdinand headed towards the closed door. He slipped inside, Felix turning to look at the small entrance. This apartment was smaller than his own, but it also felt more lived in than his own.

"Here." Ferdinand reappeared with the paper and pen, setting it on the small table.

"How does everyone eat down here?"

Ferdinand gave him a look, heading back into the kitchen as Felix sat at the table, looking at the notebook that had been given to him. Many pieces of paper were missing, though there was nothing written in the actual notebook when he flipped through it.

"There's farms in the first circle that make up most of the fields. We just had a harvest, that's why we were in the field we were in. They rotate where their crops are, to ensure that they don't overuse fields with the same crops again and again. Pieces of magic aid in healthy crops and we raise our own animals to kill." He pulled stuff from a small ice box, setting them on the table. "I hope you don't mind stew."

Felix looked up, nodding at him. He began to write, glancing up every few minutes as Ferdinand worked his way through the process of dicing and slicing meat and veggies. "How do you know Edelgard?"

"Ah, myself, Hubert, and Edelgard went to school together. We've been friends since junior high, more or less." Ferdinand threw the ingredients into the pot of water that was slowly beginning to boil, his eyebrows furrowing. "You were Dimitri's friend, were you not?"

Felix nodded. "We were friends until he died. I know Edelgard was his stepsister, for as long as that lasted."

Ferdinand nodded. "She never really did speak of Dimitri, with how her mother had died and then her father..." he paused, grimacing down at the cutting board. "Do you have any family that you miss, Felix?"

Felix gave him a shrug, his attention back on the paper in front of him. "I guess I don't. I'm starting to miss my pain in the ass partner, but Sylvain's a good enough replacement, I guess. It’s nice to see him again, sometimes."

"Sylvain was an old childhood friend?" Ferdinand looked up, watching Felix’s face.

Felix nodded, looking up from writing to meet his gaze. "Yeah, I guess he could be considered that. Do you write these in code or anything?"

"I'll make sure no one else can read it until it gets to Edelgard, but no, I don't write in code otherwise. Just a simple piece of magic to ensure that no one else can open the papers. Once the magic reaches the surface, it’ll fade and then she’ll be able to read it. So, if Sylvain's an old childhood friend, how did you two stop talking?" Ferdinand finished cutting, sticking a spoon in the stew and giving it a turn. "Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."

Felix nodded, looking at what he had written. "My father moved when I was young and we just stopped talking. The joys of living in an age before cell phones were common. You saw them, after I disappeared. How are they?"

"Worried, but Reigan was confident that you would be fine. I got to spend time with my daughter, so I suppose that worked out in my favor." Ferdinand took a seat across from Felix, resting his cheek against his fist as he watched Felix. "Do you miss it?"

"I miss the sky." Felix finished his statement, pushing the paper and pen back to Ferdinand. "So you are married."

Ferdinand laughed, though it was strained. He pulled his ring out of his pocket, looking at the metal band. "Yes, I've been married since I was twenty two. It'll be thirteen years this November. Lela's birthday is in October. I fear I may miss it again this year..."

"Why come down here at all, then? If you have a family."

Ferdinand shifted, meeting Felix's gaze. "There were ten of us that came down here, eight years ago. We were part of the Underground taskforce. I haven't heard or seen any of them in some time. Edelgard stopped getting reports, one by one. It's assumed they were dead. She was unable to send more people down and soon, I was the only one still reporting. Rather than pull me out as we had agreed, I insisted that I stay down here. Anyone else that gets sent down is found too quickly."

"And your wife?"

Ferdinand smiled at him. "My husband,” he corrected gently, “understands what's at stake. You might have met him, Hubert Vestra? He works closely with Edelgard."

"Yes, I suppose we did meet. He helped brief me on the Underground, though..."

"I don't think anyone who hasn't been down here can really understand the size of the operation that Rhea has running down here, no matter how many times you explain it." Ferdinand shifted in his seat, drumming his fingers against the table. "You know that the tensions do run high, right?"

"I figured as much. There... whatever Rhea is doing... I don't think any of the others really like it. The generals that is," Felix clarified, “they haven’t mentioned anything, but they’re all…” He waved his hand, unsure of how to phrase it.

"What is she doing?" Ferdinand asked.

Felix considered the question, locking his gaze with Ferdinand.

"To my knowledge, she’s resurrecting the dead Nabateans.”

Ferdinand stared at him. “You can’t possibly believe that she has the power to do so. Resurrection… that is a thing of myths and stories. And I do realize where we are right now.”

“I’ve seen it for myself.” Felix tightened his jaw, looking away from Ferdinand. “Dimitri Blaiddyd, prince Dima, whatever you want to call him, died in two thousand eleven. Shortly after his murder, Glenn Fraldarius was pronounced dead by suicide after disappearing from our family home.”

Ferdinand drew in a breath, staring at Felix. “How is she…”

“I don’t know the how or the why, only that she is. It’s connected to the murders I’ve been assigned to puzzle out.” Felix set his pen down upon finishing the letter. “How often can we arrange meetings like these?”

Ferdinand let out a hum. “It all depends on your schedule. Perhaps we can cross paths while I’m working with Constance and arrange meetings that way. I must say, it’s a little relieving to have someone to talk to that knows.”

Felix nodded, folding the letter and writing Claude’s name on the front of it. “Will she read these?”

“No, Hubert collects the mail. If they’re addressed to a specific person, neither of them will read it.” Ferdinand brushed his hair out of his face, closing his eyes. He reopened them, gaze fixed on Felix. “The more information you can get…”

“I’ll do my best.”

The pair let the silence settle around the, Felix looking at the letter before he started a more formal report for Edelgard and Hubert, his fingers drumming against the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's something fun about writing an eleven year old child who has been dead for seventeen years. Rhea let him get away with so much shit, he turned sassy... and possessive.


	18. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we dive into the mystery!
> 
> As I was reworking this, I decided I wanted two endings, which is why this is now a series. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also: Family stuff came up, so I'm not 100% sure if next week's update will be done on time. I have a feeling it will, but I'm not sure as of right now.

Edelgard drummed her fingers against the desk, looking at the notes in her hand. Several stacks were settled around her, different note cards indicating what each project the stack was meant for.

She looked up, watching Claude as he stared at his phone.

"Are you working or playing Candy Crush?" Edelgard asked, startling Claude into dropping the object. A half guilty look crossed his face before it fixed into a smile.

"I was actually talking to someone about Annette."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow.

"Dorothea, she messaged me a few hours after we spoke with Hanneman last night, on Facebook. Thought it was worth talking to her further. She's upset about Annette, but thanks us for talking with Manuela."

"But we didn't talk with her," Edelgard pointed out.

Claude snorted. "No, we really didn't. But, I guess she showed up this morning and was sober. She called Dorothea last night and told her that it was because she needed to speak with the police officers that stopped by her house. She'll be there until closing tonight, going over the ceremony of life for Annette."

"And Manuela said it was because of us?"

Claude nodded. "Apparently, Hanneman told her she was a disgrace for her..." he trailed off, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "last night and Manuela realized that she couldn't just give away everything she worked for over the death of one person. It would be like what happened when she was younger, all those years ago. It would be admitting failure to herself."

"And if we go to the theater now, Manuela will be there for us to talk with her?" Edelgard asked.

Claude nodded. "I figured it would be a good option for us, getting the jump on her while she's still sober enough to talk with us."

"Well, hopefully she won't get upset again. I say we ditch this project and go talk to her."

They looked at the boxes, Claude letting out a sigh. "Well, at least we can sort of figure out which notes go to which project."

"He needed to have a system in place. This would be so much easier."

Claude laughed as Edelgard and he headed out of the building, the late August air still too hot for a jacket, though Edelgard's was on as always.

She drove to the theater and Claude was excited to see that there were more cars in the parking lot. He could pick out the one he had seen at Hanneman's home, a good sign for them. They got out, walking to the front door and entering, several people looking up in surprise as the two detectives walked in.

"Claude, Edelgard!" Dorothea poked her head out of the office, beckoning the pair over. She shut the door when they joined them, Claude pocketing his phone.

Manuela looked up at them, dark circles under her eyes but she gave them a brief smile, strained as it was. "Welcome, I apologize for our previous meeting."

Claude lifted his hands, spreading them and letting his eyes grow wide. "Please, make no mention of it! It's good to see you up and about, Ms. Casagranda."

Manuela waved her hand, letting out a snort. "Don't bother with all of that Ms. Casagranda stuff now. Please, call me Manuela. Now, you're here to talk about Ms Annette, correct?"

Edelgard nodded, sitting down as Dorothea gestured for them to. "Yes, we just... did she have any connections to the Underground that you knew of?"

Dorothea narrowed her eyes, Manuela closing her eyes. She rubbed at her temples, opening them to look up at Edelgard. "Ah, you're from _that_ taskforce. No, to my knowledge, Annette did not have any connections to the Underground. She had a father but..."

"Annette always said he had left the family to seek something elsewhere. Her mother never was certain where he left to and Annette wanted nothing to do with the man that could and would leave them so callously like that, to chase after something that didn't exist." Dorothea chewed on her lip, placing a hand on the table as she forced herself to stop. "This is connected to the Underground case, the Crest Carver, right?"

Claude nodded, Manuela letting out a sigh. "You spoke to my husband about the history of Fodlan, didn't you?"

"Detective Fraldarius and I sat through a version of it, several months back when we first started talking to Hanneman, before he became too busy to assist us. Fodlan had been a war torn nation until beings from the skies assisted them. When the humans became too knowledgeable, they chased the beings underground." Claude watched Manuela drum her fingers against the table, her head bouncing along with Claude's words.

"Something along those lines. While that boy, Linhardt, was looking into crests, Hanneman is trying to understand the importance of them, from so long ago. He has this idea that magic can be used if you have these things in your bloodline. He built a small machine that, with a sample of blood, will test on if you have that property in your blood." Manuela sighed.

“He explained some of this to us yesterday, mentioned that he was working on that project. He also promised us several of his notes, but we haven’t received anything from him, as of yet.” Edelgard shifted her stance, her gaze drifting from Manuela to Dorothea.

The woman smiled at Edelgard, brushing hair out of her face. ‘That sounds just like Hanneman, always promising to do things and then ever following through.”

Manuela’s mouth was pressed into a thin line. “I suppose that is like thim. I’ll see if I can remind him today about it. Once he has the class schedules fixed, he intends to return to that dig site of his.”

Claude leaned back. “He’s been spending a lot of time there, isn’t it? What’s he looking for, exactly? Does he talk about it?”

“Please, I don’t listen to half the dribble that pours out of his mouth, it doesn’t make sense to me. I’m busy running the opera, I don’t have time to listen to every detail my husband wants to theorize over his studies. That’s why he had Linhardt as his assistant and student. They worked well together.” Manuela crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a sigh.

Edelgard nodded, looking towards Dorothea. “Hanneman said he was testing blood samples to see if people had traces of crest magic in them. Was there anyone else from the company other than Annette that had the traces of magic in them?”

Manuela held up a finger, drawing in a breath. "No one else in the theater company that Hanneman tested had that spark. He showed them what it would look like when he tested his own blood and the troupe was excited, until they realized nearly all of them tested negative. Hanneman was thrilled that Annette had the spark and tried to get her in on the project overall. She declined, as she had too much to do here and she didn’t want to add more to her plate."

Claude and Edelgard exchanged a glance. "You don't think..." she began.

Claude rubbed at his temple, looking back up at Dorothea as the woman grimaced.

"If your husband's prying got-" Dorothea began, turning on Manuela. “I told you letting him test anyone was a bad idea.”

"I know," Manuela murmured, "but even if he hadn't been prying into the idea of magic, Annette may still have been targeted. If this is something that can help the good detectives, I’ll take it. I want Annette’s killer brought to justice, Dorothea."

"Can you tell us anything else about Annette?" Edelgard asked, meeting Manuela's gaze.

Manuela smiled, even as brief as it was. "She was a brilliant girl. She had a spark I rarely saw in many performers and she was always humming a tune. She's a wonderful child and I'm... very sorry for her passing."

"You mentioned that... something like this happened before?" Edelgard asked, “we have placed several older murderers on the Crest Carver as well. If there was a murder you had witnessed a while ago with the same calling card left at the scene, we need to know.”

Manuela frowned, tilting her head at the question. She sighed after a moment. "I don't mean that someone I knew was found dead with something carved in them, mind you. It was something that happened that reminded me of Annette, is all. Twenty years ago, I was watching a young relative of mine. Her mother was one of my cousins and I was giving her daughter singing lessons. One day, while I was with her, she was kidnaped. There were no notes, no signs of a break-in. She just... vanished. I started drinking after that, lost touch with my family because I had been the one that had lost my cousin's daughter. I was a mess."

Edelgard nodded. "That does sound hard to deal with. And now to have another..."

"It's unlikely that the two are related, but I always regretted that Lysithea could not live out her years with us. She was... a wonderful child." Manuela used a tissue to dab at her eyes, taking in a breath. "I hope that you can bring justice for Annette's death."

Edelgard nodded. "Of course, thank you for talking with us, Manuela."

Manuela smiled, eyes distant as she looked over Edelgard's shoulder. "Remember to chase what you love, as you never know when your life might end."

Edelgard got up from her seat, Claude following her. They bid them goodbye, returning to their cruiser.

"What do you make of that?"

Edelgard shook his head. "I don't know, but it's not much to go off of. She didn't tell us anything we didn't know, other than her cousin's daughter going missing. Maybe she’ll get Hanneman to give us the notes."

Claude let out a sigh. "Maybe we didn’t waste the whole day, then. If we don’t get his notes, I’ll go down and visit the college myself. Maybe he’ll show me the damn machines and I can see it for myself."

Edelgard shrugged. "We still have all of Linhardt’s notes to get through. Maybe his notes will prove to be more useful than Hanneman’s. Talking with Manuela wasn’t a complete waste of time."

Claude gave her a questioning look.

"We know that Hanneman can test the blood of everyone we found. If we can prove or disprove his magic is in the blood thing, then maybe that would give us an idea of what the killer is after."

"Do you think they could be after people who can use magic?"

Edelgard frowned. "But then... why kill them? Wouldn't keeping them alive be more... practical if they're trying to find people with magic?"

"I don't know, it's the first thing that made sense this whole investigation though," Claude muttered, "but then we'd have to see if it's really the Underground doing it. We haven’t even been able to prove that the bodies belong to the victims that we think they do."

"Ingrid has confirmed that the Underground is capable of magic. Maybe they were..." Edelgard trailed off, letting out a groan. "We'll debate once we're back to the office and looking through more of Linhardt's notes."

Claude sighed, tipping his head back. "When are you supposed to hear from Ferdinand again?"

"Sometime in the next week. Like I said, as soon as I hear from him, as soon as I have any information, I will tell you."

Claude nodded, letting the rest of the car ride pass in silence.

~*~*~*~*~

“Felix, Lady Rhea requests your presence. You are to meet with her in the tea room next to the cathedral.”

Felix blinked at Seteth, glancing from him to the food he was in the middle of eating. “What tea room?”

Seteth’s mouth pulled into a further frown and he set his shoulders back. “Were you not given an extensive tour of the sanctuary upon your arrival?”

“I was but I don’t remember there being a tea room.” Felix set his fork down. “You said it was in the cathedral?”

“Next to it. You approach the main gates and take a right, there will be a small building with flowers surrounding it. That will be the tea room.” Seteth glanced at Felix. “I am certain you can find it without additional aid?”

Felix nodded, getting up and taking his tray to the front of the dining hall. He dropped it with the other dirty dishes and headed towards the cathedral.

The reflections above him showed a sunny afternoon, fluffy clouds rolling across the sky. With the start of September having just passed them by and with the promise of autumn, Felix felt the world around him press in closer.

The temperature of the underground never changed, residing at a comfortable seventy or so degrees. Every great once in a while there was a breeze, but the rings of the outer circles kept the air stagnant. He shivered as he walked down the empty path.

The tea room was where Seteth had described it, Felix recalling the room from when he first had tea with Rhea. He stood outside the door before he knocked on it, glancing to the left and right. Flowers lined the paths, the area a secondary garden from the main greenhouse Felix knew.

He moved back as Flayn opened the door, a smile on her face as she beckoned him in. “Good afternoon, Felix! You are right on time. I’m so glad that father was able to find you so quickly.”

Felix glanced past her to see Rhea sitting at a table set for three, her hands placed in her lap. “Afternoon.”

“Good afternoon, it’s wonderful that you have accepted our invitation to tea. Flynn has been eager to get to know you better.”

Felix sat at the table as Flayn ushered him in, the smile on her face making his own hurt in return. Rhea’s eyes glinted, Felix shifting in his seat. Flynn moved to serve, her gaze sliding from Felix to Rhea.

Felix accepted the cup of tea, wrapping his hands around the base. “Is there a reason you called me here?”

Rhea smiled at him, tilting her head. “I wanted to confirm that you have been settling well into our home. You are often reserved, around the others, and I am concerned for you.”

Felix shifted in his seat, looking down at the tea. “It’s… a drastic change from what I was doing, but I am fine.”

“Yes, you and your previous partner were working on the Crest Carver case, were you not?” Rhea smiled at him, her eyes shining in the light. He shifted in his seat again, glancing at Flayn.

“Up until I was taken down here, I was, yes.”

“And how did you find yourself enjoying the other circles? It is rare that we have anyone with so much access to our cities.”

Felix considered the question, unwilling to move his gaze away from the tea. “They’re… interesting. Different from what I was raised with.”

Rhea nodded, taking a sip of her tea. “There are a lot of things that are different, from time to time and place to place. I hope you can enjoy the time and place that you have been given. You must excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”

Rhea stood, glancing from Felix to Flayn before she exited the small building, the door snapping shut behind her.

“I thought she would never leave.”

Felix glanced towards Flayn, listening to the sigh that came out of her mouth. She shifted, yawning and cracking her jaw in the same movement.

“It has been some time, detective. I wouldn’t have thought you were one to find yourself down in the darkness.”

“Linhardt.”

The man smiled at him, nodding. “For the moment. Flayn is being nice enough to let me speak with you. Why are you down here, detective?”

“I’m looking for the killer.”

Linhardt nodded, setting his tea to the side and picking up a cookie from the table. “And you think you’ll find them down here?”

“I found you. You’re dead.”

“I am not. Obviously, look at me.”

"Linhardt."

Linhardt sighed, glancing away from Felix and setting his cup down. “While we have the time, there are some things that I wish to show you. Things that are important that you know about so you can understand what you’re getting into.”

“How do you share a body with Flayn? Or, how did it come to be that you shared a body with anyone? Is that even your real body?” Felix demanded, mirroring Linhardt’s actions as he set his own cup down. He stood, following him towards the front door.

“We share a body. Flayn is being graceful and allowing me a few minutes of study before I sleep again." Linhardt let himself yawn, covering it with a hand. "I didn't expect to see you again, if I’m being honest. There’s something that I would like to show you and we don’t have much time. Please, hold your questions for now."

Felix shot him a look, glancing around. They were alone, Linhardt heading towards the cathedral before finding a side door. Felix moved to follow him, eyes wide as the door shifted, revealing a platform for them to go down on.

It began to move, Felix eyeing the contraption as the wheels turned, humming softly.

"Who killed you?"

Linhardt let out a sigh, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "That's so exhausting to speak of. Who cares how I died? I’m here now, aren’t I?"

"Your husband? Caspar was pretty upset by your death, you know."

Felix saw the glimmer of emotion that flashed through Linhardt's eyes, the man looking away. "Yes, I suppose... Caspar would miss me. How exhausting. To finally have the knowledge I was seeking and to only leave tragedy in my wake. I have time to study everything I could have possibly wanted and no one will ever see the wonders I discover."

"You're dead."

“Yes, yes, you have mentioned it several times now.” Linhardt blinked at him, cocking his head to the side. "Do I look dead to you, detective?"

"Your... body." Felix swallowed, "it was destroyed." The platform came to a stop, green light filtering over them, the structure colder than the outside.

Linhardt glanced down at his hand, flipping it over and examining the nails. "Yes, I suppose it should have been destroyed during the soul transfer and rituals. But, as you can see, my body is still intact."

"Are you a ghost, then?"

“That’s an interesting idea. But I still bleed, as much as anyone else does. While it may be green, it still happens.” Linhardt shifted, tucking his hand back against his chest. “That does not mean you can take my blood as a sample. I will simply faint if I see so much as a speck of blood and that will not help either of us, will it?”

Felix stared at him. “Who took blood samples from you in the first place?”

“Hanneman. He had an idea about what the blood might hold in the DNA. He managed to pull together several different theories and even prove one or two of them. There is still crest magic out there, hiding in the old family bloodlines.”

“Is… Rhea after the magic?” Felix asked, dropping his voice low. Even in the silence and stillness of the room, he didn’t want to be overheard.

“Oh, I suppose she is, in a way. Of course, you have to promise to not tell Rhea that I brought you down here. She would be horrified. This is a place for only her people, please do understand. I would hate to have Flayn in trouble because of me.” Linhardt gestured to the room around them, his eyes full of wonder. "It's wonderful, isn't it? Something that isn’t meant to be and yet, here it is."

“If your body was destroyed, how are you still here? You meanted a soul transfer? What does that even mean?” Felix ignored the look Linhardt gave him. “These are things that I need to know, Linhardt. There is still a killer out there.”

“And I already told you, I don’t care about that. And, from your own words, you know who the killer is. Why does it matter what I do now, hmm?”

“Why?”

Linhardt hummed, looking up towards the ceiling to take in some detail or another. "Flayn is a pleasant presence to be sharing a body with. Did you know that the Hevring family is descended from Cethleann's own bloodline? They called her a saint, in the end. At least they do down here. Saint Cethleann, the healer. My family never kept many genealogy records. I always wondered about it and that’s how I met Hanneman."

"Are you really not worried?" Felix asked, his fingers flexing around where his sword hilt should be. He hadn’t grabbed it that morning, having planned to meet with Dima to go training. He dropped his hand to the side before he crossed his arms over his chest.

Linhardt let out a sigh, pulling his gaze away from the view around them. "I am dead, Felix. There's no changing that. Why should I worry about the matters of the living? What else is being dead good for if not that?"

"But-"

Linhardt shook his head. "No, no, you're right. I've been... avoiding the thoughts, because it depresses Flayn. She really is a sweet, young woman. All she ever wanted was to ensure that her family was safe, but instead, they came down here. And then there was more war and bloodshed. The children of Sothis turned on each other because they blamed each other for their mother's illness and eventual death. How petty, for them to believe themselves capable of such harm to their own mother."

"But, weren't they?" Felix asked. "Didn't they? They destroyed each other. What makes you think they didn’t kill her as well?"

Linhardt frowned, pressing a hand to his chest. He tightened his fingers in the fabric, closing his eyes. "She was already sick when she built this sanctuary. She had confided in Cethleann, because she was a healer. Seiros was grief stricken and feral after Sothis died, she wouldn't listen to Cethleann's pleas for understanding that her death was not anyone's fault. Seiros murdered Cethleann in turn, striking the biggest blow. From what I gathered, Sothis did not trust her. She… strung her across the tomb in pieces before stealing her heart."

Felix swallowed, turning to look at the others. He squinted, peering into the darkness before realizing that he and Linhardt had continued to walk, the man leading him to the bottom of a set of stairs.

“Is she recreating their deaths to bring them back?” Felix asked.

Linhardt smiled at him. “I wish I knew, I don’t though. How did you find my body? As little detail as you can manage, please. I don’t really wish to think about it.”

“It was…” Felix faltered, stopping for a moment, “we had to cremate the body. It was arranged in the shape of the crest.”

Linhardt’s face fell, his gaze distant as he looked away from Felix. “I see.”

"What... is this place?"

Linhardt glanced at him, focusing on the task at hand. "It is a tomb." He began to ascend the stairs they had come to, Felix following close by. As they walked up the stairs, Felix counted twenty thrones, affixed in arena style seating. At the top of the stairs rested a giant throne with a carving Felix recognized as the Crest of Flames.

"The throne of the goddess, and her court." Linhardt turned, gesturing towards the twenty thrones they had passed, each carved with their own crest. "Cethleann, as a granddaughter of Sothis, often stood next to her, taking in the proceedings. That had once been Seiros's spot, until Cethleann proved herself wiser and calmer than her aunt. Sothis placed much trust in the young woman and it backfired on her."

Felix glanced at the thrones, looking at the strange weapons that seemed to be affixed above several of the thrones. Strange orbs sat on others, Felix realizing that not every throne had a weapon and a handful of orbs were missing.

"What are..." he began, Linhardt following his gaze.

"What is left of the dead. Seiros... had a strange idea. She turned the bones of her own siblings into weapons to bring them down. She crafted ten weapons in total, before the rest of her siblings fell. She left them alone, preserving their bodies so she could visit them. Then, she built herself the Underground City, far from the light of humans that cast out the Nabateans."

Felix shivered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why are you telling me this?"

Linhardt glanced at him, cocking an eyebrow. "I am a history student, detective. I would hate to see the person or beast that tries to keep me away from the history of this place."

Felix blinked, watching as his face shifted, his eyes growing softer and a laugh echoed from him.

"Linhardt has been a very pleasant host. I am quite glad that Seiros found him, even if I am sad that she did what she did. That being said, Felix..." Flynn hesitated, looking down at her hands, “you have to destroy our hearts, in order to release us.”

Linhardt frowned and his eyes shifted again, the man shaking his head. "I do hate when she overshadows me like that." He yawned again, glancing behind him and blinking at the stairs. "I suppose she can walk down the stairs..."

"Wait, why are there weapons missing?" Felix asked, glancing at the weapons below. He had only counted six, whereas Linhardt had mentioned ten...

Linhardt sighed. "The spirits that the weapons belonged to, whose bones Seiros used, they have their weapons. Dima has Areadbhar, Fraldarius has the Aegis shield, Dominic has Crusher and... hmmm, Gautier has the lance, I believe. I haven’t seen the lance myself, he keeps that tucked away. I’m interested in it, however. Oh! Do ask him if I can see it, will you?"

“Which one is…” Felix began.

Linhardt blinked at him. “Ah, never mind the request. It doesn’t matter. Come, we should return to the tea room soon.”

Felix frowned at him, watching the softness return to his eyes, the spirit pulling his mouth down into a frown.

"I dare say, I wish he hadn't left me to do all the walk down... come, Linhardt is right about the tea room, it would not do if Rhea came to check up on us and we were gone."

"Flayn?" Felix reached out, fingers twitching as he pulled away from her shoulder. She glanced at him, offering him a frown.

"Yes?"

Felix hesitated before he shook his head, glancing away from her. "Nevermind."

Flayn gave him a curious look before she shrugged, heading down the stairs.


	19. Silenced Whispers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a day early because I won't be around tomorrow. Enjoy. This chapter was a fucking _asshole_ to edit.
> 
> I'm so tired of looking at it. I've been trying to edit it for nearly two weeks now. Enjoy!
> 
> Also, we hit a thousand views(we're over it now), but heey! Thanks for coming by and reading. I appreciate every hit, kudos, and comment that is left here!

"You have got to be kidding me."

Claude put the paper to the side, scrubbing at his face. His vision blurred, names and letters dancing in his mind.

"More genealogy paperwork?"

Edelgard spoke through a yawn, muffling it with the back of her hand as she stared down at her own stacks of paper.

"Yes, more genealogy paperwork. Talking about the crests being symbolic of old family arms."

"We knew that," Edelgard scoffed, "is there anything new?"

"Impatient, aren't we?" Claude looked down at the notes, bringing one up closer to his face before he put it up against the light, looking at the words.

Edelgard fixed him with a stare. "We-"

"He was related to a crest bearer."

"Huh?"

Claude held the paper up, showing it to Edelgard. "The genealogy is for where the crests have gone. Linhardt, according to his notes and his last name, is related to the Hevring family, which is a branch coming from the family that bore the crest of Cethleann."

Edelgard took the paper from Claude, looking at them. She frowned, reading it for herself.

"If Linhardt was related to the Cethlean family, perhaps the killer is attacking people related to the families? They were all former nobility, weren’t they? Are the killers... making a statement?" Edelgard set the paper down, frowning at Claude.

Claude opened his mouth before he shut it with a sigh. "It's not as if the former nobility are very important now."

"But why would anyone in the Underground be going after them now?"

Claude shifted. "Maybe there was bad blood. A family went to the Underground, kept alive stories of what others did to piss them off and now they're going after-"

"-the last remaining members." Edelgard turned to look at the board, taking in a breath. "Blaiddyd used to be the name of a king, until the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus shifted to a parliament and the king lost his power."

"And Lambert Blaiddyd and Dimitri Blaiddyd were killed in the early two thousands."

"But, if it were a family that wanted revenge, why now?" Edelgard asked, looking at the board before glancing back at the table. “Dominic is a common enough last name, and I don’t remember there being any Dominics that were common at the time of the fall of the noble lineage.”

Claude rubbed at his temples, looking towards Edelgard. "How common is your last name?"

Edelgard shifted, raising an eyebrow at Claude. "If you must know, my family is descended from the old Adrestian Empire. What of your name, Claude?"

Claude blinked at her, shrugging. "It was my mom's surname. My dad liked to claim that he didn't have a last name and adopted my mother's instead. Riegan is super common, however. Caspar said he was researching genealogy, but didn’t have any idea why. If the crests are interrelated with genealogy..."

Edelgard nodded, glancing at the board. "It would make sense as to why Hanneman would want to research both. He already created a way to test blood for the crests. It’s not a far step to assume that he would look for descendents, rather than just anyone off the street."

Claude met Edelgard’s gaze. “You don’t think he’s a part of this, do you?”

"He wasn't in town when the Blaiddyds were killed."

Claude ran a hand through his hair, huffing. "Okay, but he did test two of our victims."

"Blaiddyd is fairly uncommon name. No one left with it, actually." Edelgard tapped a finger against the desk, frowning.

"So, crests, genealogies, and murders." Claude turned to the board, frowning at it. "With a number of victims having come from the underground, potentially."

"Are they harvesting magic?"

Claude gave Edelgard a look. "Is that even something that can be done?"

She opened her mouth, the phone vibrating on the table. Claude picked it up, looking at the number before he answered.

“You’ve reached Claude Riegan, how can I help you?”

“Good afternoon Detective! This is Professor Hanneman, we had spoken a handful of times and I realized that I still had notes and the like to deliver to you. Will you be at the station tomorrow morning?”

Claude sat back in his chair, glancing at the papers he was looking through. “I’m at the station now. What time were you thinking of dropping the documents off? I would like to get it to you sooner, rather than later. And Manuela did say that she spoke with you yesterday.”

There was a rustle, Hanneman letting out a hum. “I can stop by around eleven, at the earliest, tomorrow. I have classes the rest of today.”

Claude let out a hum of his own, tilting his head back. “Perfect, we’ll be waiting for you, Hanneman.”

Edelgard looked up from her reading, arching an eyebrow at Claude. He held up a finger, turning in his chair to look at the board.

“Does this include the blood samples?”

He heard a sigh on the other end. “Yes, it does. Actually, I can bring the machine to the station, so you can see how it works.”

Claude arched an eyebrow. “You’d be willing to bring it to the station?”

“Yes! I made it transportable to be able to conduct tests on the run. It’s easier to go to the people then get the people to come to me. As you understand, there aren’t many interested people in the study of crests.”

Claude let out a sigh, cutting into Hanneman’s conversation before he could really get going. “Well, I’ll look forward to your visit then, Hanneman. We’ll be waiting for you.”

“Of course, of course!”

Claude ended the call, setting his phone back on the desk. Edelgard raised an eyebrow, watching him. “I take it that that was the good professor on the phone?”

“Yes, yes it was!” Claude grinned, locking his gaze on Edelgard’s face. “He is bringing us both the notes and the blood, as well as a machine that can test the blood.”

“Do you know when he’s going out of town next?” Edelgard asked.

Claude shook his head. “I wouldn’t assume it would be anytime soon, classes did just start back up.”

“Who does Hanneman take on these digs that he does?” Edelgard asked.

Claude frowned at her. “Nobody that I can think of, why? He’s never really talked about the digs, they just came up in passing, when I was trying to get a hold of him last time. Why?”

“Do you think it’s weird that both Dominic and Hevring were taken while Hanneman was gone?”

Claude frowned at her. ‘I don’t think I understand where you’re taking this.”

“I want to talk to him, obviously, but I don’t trust him.”

Claude nodded, shifting his gaze away from Edelgard. “He’s in communication with the Underground.”

“It’s a thought, I’d keep an eye on him while he’s in here. Make sure anything we want is covered up.”

Claude nodded, letting out a sigh. “I hope he knows something.”

“For now, let’s finish sorting this out.” They turned to pull another box towards them, the words dancing in Claude’s mind even when he closed his eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

"Felix!"

The man closed his eyes when he heard his name, turning to open them and met Sylvain's gaze. He tilted his head, watching Sylvain squirm for just a moment.

"What?" he asked when Sylvain made no further attempt to speak.

Since the tournament, Felix hadn't really seen Sylvain because he had been busy doing... something, outside of the family dinners that Rhea hosted. To see him now, a lance in hand and his hair doing that thing that Felix couldn't really stand, made Felix reconsider the reason why Sylvain had been avoiding him.

"Do you want to train with me this afternoon?" Sylvain asked, gesturing from himself to the lance in his hand. "I haven't seen you down in the training room recently and... I was hoping for a bout?"

Felix considered his options. With Dima working on something with Rhea, he had too much free time on his hands and really...

"Sure."

Felix turned from his doorway, he had been considering just taking a nap, following Sylvain down the hall. "Where is everyone?"

"They're either in the other circles or helping Rhea with... whatever." Sylvain paused, looking at Felix. "Do you want to go home?"

Felix frowned at him. "Why does it matter?"

"Well, it's a simple question. Do you want to go home?"

Felix glanced away from Sylvain, gaze dropping to one of the cats that had stopped to stare at him, meowing. He leaned down, running his fingers along the spine. "I don't know."

Sylvain let out a hum, stopping in his tracks to look at Felix. "Don't you miss the sun?"

"I do."

"Then why wouldn't you want to leave?"

Felix stopped, glancing at Sylvain. Overhead, he could see the clouds rolling across the screen, heavier than he had seen in some time. It looked like a rainstorm would break, flooding those unlucky streets without the correct drainage. "You're down here."

He turned to look at Sylvain, studying his face. Sylvain tilted his head, lifting one eyebrow. "I don't see what's so great about me."

"You're..." Felix struggled for the words, his mouth pulling down into a grimace.

"I'm... what?" Sylvain asked.

Felix let out a huff, reaching out and shoving Sylvain. "You're obnoxious. Obviously, I'm down here now and probably not going to leave until that thing dies." His lips curled as he snarled the world, shaking himself.

"Heh, maybe we'll get lucky." Sylvain looked away, adjusting his grip on the lance. They had made it, somehow, to the training grounds.

Felix looked at Sylvain, tok him in as he opened the door, gesturing for Felix to enter. He stepped in, brushing past Sylvain with a scowl. "Why do you care?"

"Well, we are friends, aren't we?" Sylvain asked.

"Yeah, friends. Sure sounds like something you know a lot about." Felix walked over to the rack of training weapons, picking up a sword and testing the balance. Finding it to be reasonable, he turned back to Sylvain, rolling a shoulder. Sylvain was still holding his own training lance, a frown one his face.

"Did I upset you?"

Felix shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "Let's just get through the day, why don't we?" he suggests.

Sylvain nods, moving to the center of the training grounds. He adjusts his grip and his stance, tilting his head and smiling at Felix. "Just waiting for you."

Through the years, Felix had picked up numerous different ways to keep up on his sword training. Something that had stemmed from a few boring classes of self defense to a love of weapons even his father couldn't deny. It was one of the few things he had kept after the death of the Blaiddyds and Glenn.

He stalked towards Sylvain, sword held loosely in his hands. "Why doesn't this place flood?"

Sylvain blinked at him, sliding his grip down on the lance and pointing the wooden tip at Felix. He cocked his head as Felix slid into his own opening stance.

"What do you mean?"

Felix gave him a glance, annoyance plain in his scowl. "Well, if we're underground, why doesn't it flood when it rains?"

Sylvain gave him a shrug then. "We're too deep underground, more than likely."

"Then what about the electricity?"

Sylvain let out a huff. "Are you going to fight or are we going to just talk all day?" he asked.

Felix shifted his stance, bringing his sword up. It was as simple as breathing to Felix to move into the fight. The sounds of wooden weapons clashed and Sylvain drew back, a look on his face as he studied Felix. Felix tilted his head, adjusting and blocking the strike that came his way.

They practiced until the door burst open, Dima running into the training grounds with a grimace on his face. "Mother says you two missed dinner."

Felix and Sylvain exchanged a glance, Felix taking in a breath. HIs body burned and ached in a way he hadn't felt in a long time, his fingers dancing along the hold on the sword. When they both looked up, the training room ceiling showed that there were stars in the sky.

"Well, shit." Sylvain stepped towards the edge of the training grounds, dropping on the lip and taking in a breath. "How angry is Rhea?"

Dima shrugged, his gaze darting to Felix. "Have you two been in here all day?"

Felix shrugged. "Half the day, more or less. It's good to practice your stamina."

"I'm sure there's more fun ways to practice our stamina, Fe." Sylvain winked at him, Felix turning and heading to put his borrowed weapon away.

"You're not funny."

"You wound me, Felix."

Felix let out a scoff, turning towards the doors. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to get something in the dining hall before bed."

"Okay!" Dima smiled at them, Sylvain frowning.

"Who said you were invited?"

Dima scowled, gaze darting to Sylvain. "Mother wants to speak with you. That's why I'm here."

Sylvain opened his mouth, shutting it and letting out a sigh. "Fine, fine. Well, I guess I'm going to figure out what Lady Rhea wants. You have a good night, Felix."

Felix huffed out a sigh, walking out of the training grounds. Where Sylvain headed to the left, Felix and Dima went straight.

"Are you going to follow me?" Felix asked, looking down at Dima.

The child hesitated, tilting his head. "I don't believe I... apologized for what happened when we were watching the tournament. Are you still upset with me about that?"

"No, but you have to understand your actions have consequences."

Dima looked to the side, his brows furrowing as he stared at the ground. "I know. It was... explained to me, by mother. You have to have... your own friends, right?"

Felix closed his eyes, holding in the sigh that threatened to escape. "I had friends when we were younger, not just you."

Dima looked away, hunching his shoulders. "But it's you I missed the most. And now you're here. It would be nice if Ingrid..." He trailed off, Felix throwing his gaze to the ceiling.

Felix waited several heartbeats before they began moving again, his body truly beginning to ache from the entirely too long sparring session with Sylvain.

"Do you still like Sylvain?"

Felix looked at Dima, frowning at him. "He's a friend, I suppose."

Dima wrinkled his nose. "When we were younger, you liked him."

"We were friends." Felix ducked into the dining hall, Dima trailing behind him. He headed to the counter, accepting the tray of food that was handed to him. The staff smiled at Dima, gesturing and Dima pulled away, a cookie in his hand.

"Here."

He placed the small treat on Felix's tray, the man raising an eyebrow. "I don't like sweets."

Dima shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. "It would be rude of me to not accept it, but I don't want it. The cook said it was for me."

"Why?"

Felix looked at the cookie, glancing back up at Dima.

"I already ate. Mother ensures that we eat with her, she doesn't like it really when we eat elsewhere. She has a special staff and everything for family dinners. It's dumb."

Felix breathed out through his nose, shaking his head. "Didn't you eat while we were down in the tournament grounds?"

Dima shifted, glancing away from Felix. "She doesn't know."

"How mad will she be if she finds out?"

Dima gave him a one shoulder shrug, leaning over and plucking a piece of meat off Felix's plate. "As mad as she ever is. She..." he stopped, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter, does it?"

"No, of course not."

Felix began to eat his dinner, feeling the gaze of Dima on him. They were the only ones in the dining hall, the mages that had been there earlier that morning having left to go to bed. Dima swung his foot, pausing.

"Are you going to replace Glenn?"

"What?" Felix stilled, looking up at Dima. The child shifted, gaze darting from Felix's plate back to Felix himself. “Why would I… replace Glenn? What for?”

"Something went... wrong with Glenn. You could replace him, if you really wanted to. It's what Sylvain did with Miklan." He said the words with the ease of a child, all innocence and smiles. He looked up at Felix, offering him a smile. "I wouldn't even be upset if you did replace Glenn."

"What's wrong with Glenn?" Felix demanded, almost too defensive of the brother he hadn't seen in years. His dead brother.

"He's... off. He can't talk. Mother got tired of him screaming. She... made it so he couldn't talk anymore. I think he hates it down here and he tried to leave." Dima crossed his arms over his chest, hunching his shoulders. "It doesn't matter anyway. The others are better than Glenn and Mother is happier with them than us. She doesn’t like us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Felix asked, picking up the cookie as Dima ate through half his food. Dima smiled at him as Felix bit into the cookie, grimacing at the taste.

"Which part?"

Felix waved his hand. "The bit about Glenn."

"When he was first brought down here, Glenn didn't like it. He wanted to go home, but Mother wouldn't let him. She tried to explain it, but he wouldn't listen. Once he stared screaming, she made it so he couldn't speak at all." Dima looked down, reaching out and taking the last piece of meat from Felix's plate. He chewed on it, looking back up at Felix. "He wanted to leave me."

"I can't imagine why."

Dima blinked at him, opening his mouth before frowning and looking away. "Byleth came next. They... well, they don't have many emotions. Then it was Seteth. He's stern. And, lately, we've had so many more people join us. I don't like it. It’s too many changes at once. She’s going to mess up again and then we’ll have another… Glenn _thing_ walking around."

Felix blinked as he finished the cookie, moving to stand from his seat. He blinked as the exhaustion hit him, his gaze wavering. "I think I'm going to head to bed."

Dima got up, taking Felix's tray back to the counter. He returned to Felix's side, reaching up and taking his hand. "Are you really that tired?"

"We had been at it for a while." Felix frowns. He had trained that long before, a handful of times, and he never felt this... achy from it. It was always a dull throb, not the sharp pains that were coursing through him, overlaying the dull throb.

Dima took Felix's hand, pulling him from the dining hall and towards the apartments. They passed by the garden, Hapi looking up in concern. She called out Felix's name and he stopped, letting out a huff.

"What are you doing here?" Hapi asked, glancing from Felix to Dima.

"Felix and Sylvain were busy, so I wanted to ensure Felix ate," Dima stated, shrugging, “they weren’t at dinner.”

"You okay there, Cat?"

Felix opened his mouth to say something, his body giving out on him as cold swelled in his stomach, bursting outward.


	20. Messages and Meanings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this chapter had the Linhardt/Flayn scene originally, to give you an idea of how these were originally placed. This chapter consists of a lot of additional scenes as well.
> 
> Also, this fic was lacking some Ferdinand. So, there's some Ferdinand in this chapter.
> 
> I have now put much more effort into this one fic than I have any of my original work. Hot damn.

Rhea paced in the office, turning on her heel before she stopped, her gaze darting to Yuri. Her face was smooth, despite the worry in her gaze. “You say that Hapi found Felix?”

Yuri nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “He and Dima were on the way back to their rooms, from the dining hall. As of now, the verdict is on poison, with how he was affected, but we’re not sure what he was poisoned with.”

“And where is he now?”

Yuri arched an eyebrow, studying the woman. “He’s with Balthus, for the time being. He’s working out on figuring what poisoned Felix. And, with him around, there is little chance for the aggressor to finish the job.”

Rhea stopped turning to Yuri with a small, strained smile. “I will get to the bottom of this. To think that someone would go after a guest in my home-”

“From what I gathered, whatever Felix ate, he got from Dima.”

Rhea paused, tilting her head. She stared at Yuri, pursing her lips. “And where is our prince now?”

“I knocked him unconscious so he didn’t rip someone to pieces.” Yuri shifted his stance, watching Rhea with a frown. “He was very upset when Felix fell unconscious and Hapi had to take him away. I came upon him right as he went after Hapi.”

Rhea nodded, taking in a breath and letting it out. “Do we know who gave Felix his dinner tonight?”

Yuri shook his head. “I reported directly to you. Dima should regain consciousness here in the next few hours, tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Once he wakes, we’ll be able to get more information from him.”

Rhea stared him down. “I do not agree with how you dealt with Dima, but it is understandable. Send me Seteth, there is much we have to discuss. Until we know the full story, I will assume that this is an attack on my family. This will not go unpunished. Once Dima has woken and I have spoken with him, I will call a meeting of the generals.” Rhea’s gaze flashed as she watched Yuri, the man nodding after just a brief hesitation.

“Of course, Lady Rhea.” 

Rhea smiled at him, the skin near her eyes crinkling. "Do remember your place here, general. It would not do to forget where you came from. You are dismissed."

Yuri bowed to her, “of course, Lady Rhea.” He headed out of the private chambers. With a glance at Hapi, he let out a sigh. “She wants to see Seteth. Once they have their talk, she’s going to hold a meeting.”

Hapi nodded, shifting her stance. “I’ll go find him. Do you know-”

“Later.”

Hapi gave him a look before she turned, heading off in the opposite direction of Yuri. He headed to the common room, taking a seat at a table and frowned. Bits and pieces of personal belongings were scattered about, his eyes landing on several half finished papers.

He tilted his head when he heard footsteps, moving to stand and follow them.

“What are you doing here?”

The man jumped, turning to look at Yuri with wide eyes. “I was… merely looking for Constance. I needed to speak with her regarding a matter and-”

“What’s your name?”

The man shifted, frowning for a moment. “Ferdinand von Aegir.”

Yuri nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ah, yes, you’re her current research assistant. She’s busy at the moment. Is there a reason that you’re up here?”

Ferdinand blinked, opening his mouth before he shook his head. “No, I… suppose I got lost, in reality. I was looking for her lab and-”

Yuri nodded, pushing himself away from the table. “I’ll walk you there, then. If she’s not there, I’ll take you back to the blue circle.”

“Thank you and I apologize for the mess, Yuri.”

Yuri waved his hand. “You just caught us at an unfortunate time.” Yuri stopped, glancing up as he heard mutterings. He saw Seteth walk past the open door, turning to head in the opposite direction. “So, you know magic?”

Ferdinand followed, glancing the way they had come. “Only some; Constance has been teaching me pieces here and there. Did something happen?”

Yuri frowned. “What would make you think that something happened?”

“Oh, I just… noticed that there were more people out, is all. Usually it’s quiet up here, this late at night.” Ferdinand paused, placing his hand in his pocket.

Yuri cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, and Constance either does her experiments at night or early in the morning. I must say, I wasn’t expecting her assistant tonight.”

“I…” Ferdinand grimaced, unable to meet Yuri’s gaze.

Yuri shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I can show you the way home, if you really want me to. No need to bring you to Constance.”

“If you don’t mind.”

“What were you doing up here?”

Ferdinand glanced from Yuri to the walls around them, the pair making their way through the halls. Yuri watched as others scrambled to attention, stopping to get Yuri the respect he was due.

“Maybe I was a bit curious about what life in the inner circle was like. I had spoken with Felix, for some time, not long ago. And I only see a small portion of it when Constance takes me to and from the second circle.” Ferdinand stopped, glancing at Yuri. “Is that truly such a bad thing?”

Yuri shook his head. “Just a word of caution my friend, things are happening and I would hate for you to unwittingly be caught in the crossfire.”

Ferdinand shifted, glancing from him towards the walkway. “That was not-”

“Be careful, hmm?” Yuri stopped outside a door, gesturing for Ferdinand to enter.

Ferdinand looked at him. “If you see Felix, can you let him know that I’m looking for him as well, please?”

“Of course. I’ll pass along the message when I see him next. Have a good night.”

Ferdinand disappeared through the door, Yuri frowning. With a sigh, he walked away from the door, heading towards the apartments. His mind churned, drifting to the problem at hand.

When he was at the right door, Yuri knocked. He waited a handful of seconds before he pushed his way in, Balthus looking up from his table.

“How’d Rhea take it?”

Yuri glanced at him, rolling his eyes before he moved towards the bedroom. Balthus just shook his head. Yuri stopped, raising an eyebrow.

“He’s finally resting, I think I got him to vomit up wherever it was he ate. Now it’s waiting to see how the poison affects him.” Balthus shifted, getting up from the table and setting the paper to the side.

Yuri sighed, running a hand through his hair. “What do we think happened?”

“Hard to say until Felix or Dima wakes up. He was definitely poisoned.”

“It seems like Dima was saying something about a cookie before I knocked him out. The cook gave it to him, more than likely.” Yuri glanced over his shoulder, turning back to look at Balthus. “Unless the cook didn’t give it to him.”

Balthus stared at him, Yuri holding up a finger in thought.

“We’ll have to talk to Dima, right after he wakes up and before Rhea gets a hold of him.”

Balthus nodded, sitting back in his chair. He thought it over, meeting Yuri’s gaze. “You think someone else is part of this.”

“Maybe, there’s no saying why someone would give Dima anything. Or if they knew he would just pass it along to someone else.” Yuri paused, frowning. “For now, just keep an eye on Felix. If he dies…”

“Got it, boss.”

Yuri left the apartment, tucking his hands into his pockets. The late night was slowly turning into an early morning, his thoughts settling into order as he considered the problem before him.

~*~*~*~*~

"Hello!"

Ingrid breezed into the office, a smile on her face. She glanced between the two, Edelgard offering her a small wave. Claude smiled when he saw Ingrid, setting his paperwork down.

“It’s so pleasant to see you! How are you feeling?”

Ingrid gave him a look, shaking her head. “I’m fine. The last week off did wonders. Catherine took me off active duty, but I can come help with reading paperwork.”

Edelgard nodded. “We’ll be glad to have you help. We’re still sorting through the different notes, but we have gotten it down to three projects he was working on.”

Ingrid glanced over the boxes, blinking at them. “Well, he certainly didn’t like to waste time, did he?”

“We found notes containing information on the crests, notes on family lines, notes on weapons and weapon maintenance, and personal journal entries that got mixed up in the mess.” He met Ingrid’s gaze, the woman brushing hair out of her face.

"Have you guys found anything new?" Ingrid asked, dropping into a chair. Claude offered her a shrug, gesturing for Edelgard to take the question.

"We believe the killings are linked to family lines. However, it is unclear as to why anyone in the Underground would be interested in long decayed noble lines."

Ingrid shifted her glance between them. "That's a good step forward, right?" she asked.

Edelgard nodded, her mouth pulling into a frown. "We could maybe start looking at the genealogy records and see if we can match crest to family line and then see if there are any descendents left." She glanced at the board, letting out a sigh. "There are a few families that we can count out..."

"Did you get the reports on Glenn Fraldarius's body?" Ingrid asked, leaning forward to meet Edelgard's gaze.

The woman shook her head. "I wasn't able to, no."

Ingrid nodded, letting out a sigh. She slumped her shoulders, tapping a finger against the table.

"But, if it is the underground and they're killing the families that are left of the bloodlines-" Claude glanced at Edelgard, the woman letting her hand form into a fist.

"Felix is down there."

Ingrid sighed, looking away. "And…?"

“And if his brother was really killed by someone in the Underground and it wasn’t truly a suicide, that leaves him down there.”

Ingrid sat back in the chair, her back straight. “Then we need to-”

Edelgard shook her head. “We have yet to receive word that he’s down there. As it is, Ferdinand was meant to run a report yesterday, but we haven’t heard anything from him.”

“Then I’ll go down and-”

“No.”

Ingrid stared at Edelgard, Claude shaking his head.

“It’s not worth it to send someone else down there. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“But you forget that I’ve been down there. Dima would be more than happy to see me, if he’s still down here. We can-”

Edelgard sighed, cutting her off with a raised hand. “I will keep that in mind. As it is, Hanneman is supposed to be stopping by later today. Let’s get the room into order. I would rather not the trusted professor see most of what we are working on.”

“Why?” Claude asked. Ingrid looked at Edelgard in question as well, the woman folding her hands over her lap.

“You’re going to just ignore that Felix is down there?” Ingrid demanded.

Edelgard shook her head, looking past Ingrid to the door before she returned her gaze to Claude. “These were all notes that were taken from Linhardt’s home. I do have to wonder why they were kept at the house, rather than the office. Call it a hunch, but I would rather he not take anything from this office that he didn’t bring in.”

Claude nodded, frowning at her. “He did talk to both Annette and Linhardt before they were murdered.”

“Edelgard!”

“Please, consider it me being paranoid, if you must.” She turned to look at Ingrid, her gaze softening. “Until we know more on the matter, we must be careful. Whether that is with Hanneman or with ensuring that no one else is in danger with the Underground.” Edelgard got up from her chair, moving to organize several stacks of paper. Claude began to move, Ingrid staring at the back of Edelgard’s head.

“Is it because it doesn’t benefit you?”

“What?” Edelgard demanded.

Ingrid met her gaze. “You’re just going to leave him down there, even if it could mean getting him killed?”

“There are risks to the job, Ingrid. Felix knew that when he accepted the offer to go down. You knew that when you went down the second time.” Edelgard rested a hand on the table, Claude freezing as he glanced between the two women.

Ingrid set her jaw, narrowing her eyes. “But-”

"We received a report from Ferdinand." Hubert breezed into the room, breaking the tension. Ingrid slumped in her chair, Edelgard turning to meet Hubert’s gaze.

"When did it-"

"This morning, two hours ago." Hubert glanced around the room, letting out a huff. He placed the document in Edelgard’s hand, meeting her gaze. "There was heightened security after an attack last night, it seems, so it took him longer to get the information to us. The generals are very skittish, from what I understand."

Edelgard flipped open the first page, seeing the added notes from Ferdinand as he drew out being able to send it.

"Is everyone okay?"

"That remains to be seen, he is unsure. Yuri wouldn’t mention what happened in detail, just that something happened. Ferdinand tried to ask for more information but was unable to. Doesn’t do us much good, I’m afraid." Hubert glanced across the room, gaze landing on the board. "How has the progress been going here?"

Claude cleared his throat. "As far as we can tell, the crests are linked to old families that held power until two hundred years ago."

Hubert nodded, gesturing towards the papers. "And you got all of that... from half organized notes?"

Edelgard muffled a laugh behind a cough as she read through the reports, frowning down at Ferdinand’s notes.

"In a way. Linhardt was looking into genealogy records. He had tracked his own to a family that bore the Crest of Cethleann as their coat-of-arms and-" Claude began.

"And that was the crest that Mr. Hevring's body was arranged into." Hubert glanced at the board, shaking his head with a sigh. “What a sad waste of life.”

Claude nodded, glancing at Hubert. Ingrid frowned, drumming her fingers against the table. "And there was another killing last week."

Claude nodded, glancing at the board. "Annette Dominic, actress at the Mittelfrank Opera house and a friend of Felix's. She had given a blood sample to Hanneman, as had Linhardt. From what the professor said, both of them had traces of the crest magic in their blood."

“Annette always had the funniest little songs she would sing… Dorothea would talk about her from time to time, actually.” Ingrid glanced from Claude to Edelgard, her gaze dropping.

Edelgard nodded, looking down at the paperwork. "If we can work out the genealogy records that Linhardt was studying, we may be able to figure out who the killer is going after next and prevent them from getting killed."

Claude glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. She gave him a small shrug, looking back at the paperwork. "If we can figure out who they're targeting next, we might even be able to stop them."

Ingrid let out a huff, dragging a hand through her hair. "Let’s finish cleaning up before Hanneman gets here, at least."

Edelgard stood up, tucking Ferdinand's report into her pocket. "I'll be right back. Hubert?"

Hubert turned, stepping out of the office and following Edelgard outside. She looked up at the autumn sky, pulling the report out of her pocket. She flipped through it idly, shaking her head.

"What happened?"

Hubert shook his head. "We didn’t have much time to talk before he had to go. He mentioned that there was an attack, in the inner circle of the Underground, so it was... harder to get in and out without arousing suspicions. He had to find a further exit. One of the generals sent him back, which caused the delay in getting to me as well."

"And the other matter?" Edelgard asked, eyeing him up and down.

Hubert sighed, closing his eyes. "Petra was found early this morning. She had been caught and her body was returned to our department. It is a warning, if they find any others. Perhaps she had something to do with the attack in the inner circle?"

"Petra wasn't dead after all," Edeglard whispered, "and we gave up on her."

Hubert stared at Edelgard. "We followed protocol we all agreed on. I have informed her family that they can retrieve her remains at the end of the week. She will need to be cremated."

Edelgard nodded, resting her hand on the notebook. "You need to tell Ferdinand to leave as soon as he can. This is becoming too dangerous."

Hubert let his mouth thin into a line. "I have informed him of my opinion on the matter. He seems to believe that there is still something that he is missing. With the information from this investigation, perhaps we can piece together the full story."

"Very well. He is a smart man, Hubert. He will know when to return home." Edelgard let out a sigh, closing her eyes.

"And what will you do about Petra? Is it possible that she could have been a part of the attack?" Hubert paused, considering the question before he disregarded it.

Edelgard sighed. "If she was still alive, after all this time, then there is a chance that the others were alive as well. If they are, they will return to us if they can. I don’t think she would act out against the Underground unless she was certain it would help us."

"Speaking of, Ferdinand did find Felix Fraldarius. The man is being kept in the inner circle. There is a note from him, but it's directed to his partner, so I did not read it."

Edelgard raised an eyebrow, meeting Hubert's gaze. "I'm surprised you didn't read it."

Hubert cleared his throat. "Just knowing that the man is alive is good enough for me. Besides, you don't read the letters that Ferdinand sends with my name on them."

Edelgard made a face, letting out a sigh. "No, no I do not. Very well, let's go back to sorting and cleaning. Once Hanneman leaves, we can go back to reading through everything. Maybe we can figure out who the Underground is interested in."

"Do you know if they succeeded in their goals for the others?" Hubert asked, following her back into the station. They both nodded at the receptionist, who gave them a smile in return.

Edelgard glinked, glancing at Hubert.

"Families can be very large. Are they looking for certain members, or were they seeking to utterly destroy the family?" Hubert asked. "Unless you have an answer to that, you won't know how many more people you'll need to protect."

Edelgard let out a huff, dragging her hand over her face. "Of course, thank you for pointing that out, Hubert. I appreciate it."

Hubert nodded, the pair joining Claude and Ingrid once more. Hubert held out a letter to Claude, keeping his face blank. "This was for you from Fraldarius. Ferdinand was able to speak with him the other night."

Claude glanced from the letter to Hubert, a smile breaking across his face. He took the letter, breaking the seal and settled in to read, Ingrid edging closer and relaxing as they took in the news that Felix was alive.


	21. Into the Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _slides in with an update before it's officially Monday_
> 
> Okay, so! This chapter is like, 95% new content! Look at that, it... was a pain. But! I couldn't leave y'all without an update this week.
> 
> What that also means is, I'm sticking this on hiatus for about a week(next update should be August 2nd) while I work on getting a few buffer chapters up, so I'm not like... cleaning my house to procrastinate working on editing because a chapter has been an absolute asshole from start to finish and just doesn't want to be written.
> 
> So, enjoy the chapter! See y'all on August 2nd. August 9th is my B-day, so I may or may not update that day, it depends on how many buffer chapters I have ready.

“What are you doing here?”

Yuri paused when he heard the voice, glancing over his shoulder and turning to see the child sitting up in bed, rubbing his head.

“I was coming to check up on you. Do you remember what happened?”

Dima frowned, pressing a hand to his face. He pulled it away after a moment, shaking his head. “Something… happened and I remember being upset.”

Yuri nodded, narrowing his eyes. “You were very upset when Felix collapsed. We had to knock you out so you didn’t get in anyone’s way. Or harm anyone.”

Dima ducked his head, staring at his hands. “I’m sorry.”

“Do you know what happened?” Yuri hovered just outside of Dima’s room, watching as the child fidgeted. He looked up after a moment, shoulders hunched.

“I gave Felix a cookie.”

Yuri cocked an eyebrow, watching Dima thoughtfully. “And where did you get the cookie from?”

“The cook.”

He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “What are the rules Lady Rhea has in place?”

Dima looked to the side, swinging his legs on the edge of the bed. “We are to eat with mother, regardless of what we are given. Can I go see Felix now?”

“No.”

Dima opened his mouth to protest, Yuri leveling a stare at him.

“Felix is still recovering from being poisoned. You can tell me why you thought that giving him the cookie was a good idea.”

Dima bit his lip, glancing away. “Felix doesn’t like sweet things. I… I thought that he wouldn’t eat it. I didn’t know-”

“No, it’s fine.” Yuri held up a hand, meeting Dima’s distressed gaze. “You thought he wouldn’t eat it, on the basis that he has no interest in sweets.”

“Is Felix going to die?”

Yuri weighed the question, considering the options he had. “It’s still probable that he might die-”

“If he does, he can replace Glenn.”

Yuri blinked at him, Dima jerking his chin upwards.

“If he’s going to die anyway, he can replace Glenn. Glenn isn’t right, Mother always says so.” Dima crossed his arms over his chest, staring Yuri down.

Yuri let out a sigh. “It was an unfortunate accident, in this case. Felix will not be replacing Glenn. While there is a… possibility that death might still happen, he’s recovering as well as he can.”

“Then, can I see him?”

Yuri shook his head, watching Dima deflate and glance away. “This is to protect the fragile state that he is in. If you were sick, wouldn’t you feel overwhelmed with everyone coming in to try and speak with you all at once?”

Dima nodded after a moment. “I understand.”

“Good. Is there anything else you can tell me about the incident?”

Dima shook his head. “I wanted to eat the cookie, but with Mother’s rules… I thought it would be _fine_ if Felix had it. I didn’t think he would eat it.”

“Of course, that’s understandable. Now, your mother wishes to speak with you now that you’re awake. Why don’t we go see her, hmm?”

Dima slid off the bed, Yuri stepping out of the room to allow him the privacy to change. When he finished, they walked towards Rhea’s office on the second floor of the main building in the sanctuary.

Yuri gestured for Dima to knock on the door when they had reached Rhea’s office, the child doing as instructed. They waited for half a heart beat before Rhea called for Dima to enter, Yuri nodding at her through the open door before Dima shut it, leaving him alone once more.

~*~*~*~*~

“Riegan, there’s a man in the lobby looking for you, his name is Professor Hanneman Essar. Says he has an appointment?”

Claude regarded the receptionist that had stuck his head inside, giving him a quick nod. “Yep, send him back.”

He got up from his chair, collecting the papers and moving their organized piles out of the way, cleaning up the space as Hanneman was led through the door, a strange machine held in his arms and a bag slung over his shoulder.

Edelgard and Ingrid had stepped out for lunch and left, leaving Claude by himself for the remainder of the day.

“Good afternoon Professor, I’m glad you could make it!” Claude reached out, helping him set the device down on the desk. “So, what is all this?”

Hanneman stepped back, taking the bag off his shoulder and setting it on the table. He pulled out several binders, meeting Claude’s gaze. “These are all of my notes.” He set them on the desk, frowning. “Caspar mentioned that he brought you all of Linhardt’s notes?”

Claude nodded, gaze focused on the machine. He glanced up at Hanneman, raising an eyebrow. “As of right now, they’re part of an active investigation. Is there something you wanted with them?”

Hanneman shook his head, smiling. “No, no, just please do make sure to notify me when you no longer need them. Linhardt…” Hanneman paused, drawing in a breath and letting out a sigh. “He was a good, young man. Maye he slept a bit too much, but he was still one of my favorite students to teach and I would hate for his work to go unused.”

Claude nodded, fixing Haneman with a stare. “If they are no longer part of an active investigation, I will ensure they go to the proper parties. Now, tell me a bit about this machine.”

Hanneman nodded, turning his attention to the machine. Calude stepped closer, looking at the screen that was nestled between two glass tubes. He glanced at Hanneman, the man clearing his throat.

“Yes, as you can see, the blood samples get placed here-”

Hanneman lifted one of the tubes out, replacing it with another. The machine beeped at him, whirring to life and Claude watched as the blood ran from the test tube on the left to the one on the right, passing through the screen. Claude glanced behind the screen to see the bulk of the device, glancing back at the front as the screen flicked on.

“It’s terribly unsophisticated, but as you can see, you receive results within seconds. The simple result is that this blood does contain a strain of DNA that is found in crest bearer’s blood.”

Claude raised an eyebrow. “You call this unsophisticated?”

“I have yet to be able to work out how to determine which crest that the carrier’s hold, mind you. If it were better, I would be able to extract that information, hypothetically.”

“And that’s why you were having Linhardt research genealogy lines?”

Hanneman nodded, meeting Claude’s gaze. “There is a lot to be learned from a family line. Whether Linhardt found anything important or not, I will never know unless I can get to his notes-”

“And you tested his blood?” Claude asked, watching Hanneman. The man nodded.

“There are a few lines that are still pure, from the old days. Such as those of the old nobles. My own lineage came from Imperial nobility before the Aldestrian Empire was dismantled.”

Claude raised an eyebrow, watching as Hanneman flitted about the machine, hands running over it, checking it over. “When you did this test just now, whose blood did you just test?”

Hanneman glanced up, meeting Claude’s gaze. “My own. Would you like to try yours and see if anything happens? I have a set of needles in order to draw blood, if you’re interested.”

Claude blinked at him, shaking his head. “No, I’d rather that my blood remains inside me, sorry.”

“Of course, but if you are ever curious-”

“What do you get out of all of this?” Claude asked, cutting into Hanneman’s statement.

Hanneman frowned. “I’m a history professor, detective. I am researching the past, and how things used to be. We have many records of different feats that were impossible to imagine. Such as the Blaiddyd line and their strength. What if that was all because of these crests?”

“Well, do the crests do anything now?” Claude asked. “Is there a purpose to them? It sounds like, if they were still important, then we would hear a lot more about them.”

Hanneman shook his head. “I suppose there is no true use for them in the modern age, but there is still so much that we do not understand about them that it would be wrong if we were to let it go to waste. Knowledge, even if it is considered outdated, should never go unlearned.”

“I see.” Claude glanced back at the board, looking at the faces of those that had died, the unknown bodies covered with a piece of paper containing a question mark. The crest cards had been pulled down as well, Claude frowning. “When we spoke with Linhardt, he had a deck of cards that displayed the crests. That doesn’t sound like they were lost to history.”

Hanneman shook his head. “From that aspect, no, they were not lost. But their value and meaning were. Imagine, if you were, a world where magic existed. And, if magic exists, then these crests would increase the effects of magic by tenfold. Think of how useful it would be if, if you were able to harness the strength of the Blaiddyd crest, or the rumored healing magic of some of the other crests. It would give anyone with access to these tools a leg up in the world, a way to stand on their own. They would have power, if they wanted to claim it.”

“And the powerful would hold sway over the weak, don’t you think? Anyone who would hold these crests and magic would be too powerful for this world, wouldn’t you say?” Claude asked, fixing Hanneman with a gaze.

Hanneman gave him a strained smile, his eyes distant. “We already live in a world where people who hold power rule over those who do not. If we could bring something like crests back, make them available to everyone, wouldn’t they have their own merit to work on?”

“I think the powerful will take the idea and run with it, never giving the weak a chance to use it against them. They want to crush people under their heel, not offer them a way to fight back.” 

Hanneman studied Claude, blinking at him before he shook his head. “Be that as it may, I do not have the time to study bloodlines. There are a few notable ones that Linhardt had mentioned. Blaiddyd was one he was particularly interested in. Why do you think,” Hanneman turned to Claude, “that these bodies are turning up now?”

Claude smiled at him. “If we knew that, we wouldn’t be here, now would we?” Claude asked. He nodded at the machine, studying it. “And you think that the crests signify that… what, someone used to be part of nobility?”

“That is one theory. If the crests were common in the nobility, then there will be those that still have the crest. Blaiddyd was related to the old Faergen king, was he not?”

Claude nodded, glancing over his shoulder. “So, they were related to the old families?”

“Yes, I would assume so, if you go off the crest. Fraldarius also shares a surname with an old Faergen family.” Hanneman fixed his gaze on the board, looking at the new addition of the Fraldarius crest on Glenn’s photo with a question mark drawn next to it.

“I see.” Claude turned his gaze back to Hanneman, studying his gaze as the man frowned.

“Is this what happened to your partner?”

Claude glanced back over his shoulder, frowning. “No, Felix is still around, just not here at the moment.”

“I see.” Hanneman returned Claude’s earlier comment, his gaze steady as he stared at the board. “I wish there was more I could help you with, Detective Reigan.”

Claude turned back to look at Hanneman, meeting his gaze. “I believe you’ve helped us tons. Do you have that vial of blood you said you would bring? Of Linhardt’s blood, that is.”

Hanneman nodded, clicking his fingers together. He opened his bag once more, pulling out a metal case. “This is the sample I have left, of course.”

He set it on the desk before he moved to collect his machine, placing it back in the bag gently.

“Thank you.” Claude walked him back up, following him to the front of the station. He watched Hanneman walk out of the building, running a hand through his hair. The conversation hadn’t really given him anything new…

Claude narrowed his eyes, watching the back of Hanneman. He turned back, heading inside to see what else he could get done before he went home.

~*~*~*~*~

“My Dima.”

Dima stopped by the door as Rhea smiled at him, setting her cup down. Her eyes were gentle and she held out a hand, smiling.

“Hello, Mother.” Dima looked behind him, but the office doors had shut, leaving him and Rhea alone.

“How are you feeling?” Rhea asked, standing up to gesture to the seat that was open. Dima walked towards it, taking a seat and looked down at his lap.

“I am better, Mother.”

Rhea nodded. “Do you understand what you did was wrong?”

Dima swallowed, unable to look up as Rhea leaned across the desk. “Yes, mother.”

Rhea sat back, letting out a sigh. “I am so sorry to hear that your friend was willing to risk himself for you. But, you know the rules.”

Dima nodded, unable to look up. Rhea reached a hand over her desk, tilting his chin up to look him in the eyes. “I do, Mother.”

“And what are the rules?” Rhea murmured.

Dima sat for a moment, gaze fidgeting before he relaxed. “We are to behave, Mother. Attacking the Generals is not something we’re allowed to do.”

“I understand you were upset. Felix is a very dear person to you, just as Glenn had been in the past. But we know what happened when we rushed, don’t we?”

Dima nodded, returning to staring at his hands when Rhea dropped his chin.

“Now, who was it that gave you the cookie?”

Dima met her gaze, blinking up at her. “It…”

“Which cook? I want to ensure that they are dealt with properly.”

Dima nodded, closing his eyes. “It was the lady with purple hair.”

Rhea nodded, picking up her teacup once more. “That is what I thought. She was a newer cook. Her name was Petra, if I recall correctly. She has, of course, been dealt with.”

Dima glanced up, watching as Rhea smiled at him, her eyes soft. “May I go now, mother?”

“No.”

Dima looked back down, Rhea picking up the teapot and pouring Dima a cup. She set it down in front of him and he lifted his hands, picking up the cup and cradling it before he took a sip. She nodded, watching as he drank the cup.

“Now you may return. If Yuri is still outside, please inform him that I wish to speak with him.”

Dima set the empty cup on the table, getting up from his chair and turning away. He headed out the door, watching sight of Yuri further down the hall, talking with Hapi. He frowned for a moment, remembering Hapi leaning over Felix and calling his name.

He curled his hand into a fist, pushing the annoyance away as he stepped towards the pair. He settled his gaze on Yuri, plastering a smile on his face. “Mother wishes to speak with you.”

Yuri glanced towards him, nodding as he faced back to Hapi. He nodded at her, passing by Dima.

“You okay, kid?”

Dima glanced up at Yuri, breaking his stare from Hapi. “Yes, I’m fine. Mother is waiting.”

“Of course.”

Dima ignored Yuri from there, stepping up to Hapi with a smile as he heard Yuri walk away. “I wanted to thank you for helping Felix. And apologize for attacking you as I did. I was out of line, but I was worried about Felix.”

Hapi nodded, eyeing Dima. “I’m glad that we were able to get him to Balthus in time. And don’t worry about it. Felix is important to you and you were just trying to protect him, weren’t you?”

Dima gave her a sharp glare. “Is Felix going to be okay? Yuri said… he was doing better?”

“It’s touch and go, but we’ll see how he’s doing in the morning. The first forty eight hours are always the roughest.”

Dima nodded, giving Hapi a bow. “I appreciate and value the service that you have given us. I will ensure that Mother knows just how much a part you’ve played in saving him.”

“It wasn’t anything that anyone else wouldn't do,” Hapi pointed out, “I’m just glad we were able to get to him.”

“Will you let me know when he recovers?” Dima asked.

Hapi smiled at him. “Of course. You have a good day, okay, Dima?”

Dima nodded, turning and heading on his way. He felt Hapi’s gaze on him for a moment longer before it disappeared, leaving him alone.

~*~*~*~*~

Yuri knocked on the door, glancing back once more to see Dima stop in front of Hapi. He turned his gaze to the room when he heard Rhea’s voice, stepping inside and shivering as the temperature seemed to drop around him.

“Afternoon, Lady Rhea.”

Rhea smiled at him, her gaze soft before she gestured for him to sit. She pulled a teacup from the table, placing it with several others. When she placed an empty one in front of Yuri, she looked up at him.

“Dima named the new cook, Petra, as the person responsible for Felix Fraldarius’s poisoning.”

Yuri took a seat, accepting the cup of tea that was poured for him. “Wasn’t that the cook that was dealt with already?”

Rhea nodded, refilling her own cup and setting the pot back down. “Yes, that was the one that you believed gave Dima the food in question. He was given a cookie, of all things.”

“Interesting.” Yuri raised an eyebrow at this information, taking a sip of her drink. “And what will we do now?”

Rhea grimaced. “I need to have a discussion with the generals. If there are rats among our mists, then something is wrong. Remind me, who is it that hires the cooks?”

“I believe it is Seteth.”

Rhea nodded. “And I spoke with him about it. He does not recall hiring Petra at all. The name didn’t even register with him. Tell me, Yuri, whatever happened to Dima’s other friend?”

Yuri cocked his head at the question. “Ingrid?”

Rhea nodded, letting out a hum. “She was part of the police, wasn’t she?”

“That’s correct. We disposed of her body.” Yuri took a sip of tea, watching as Rhea narrowed her eyes at him. “When we found her trying to get a message above, Balthus and I dealt with her. We do not allow rats in our midsts, as I am sure you are aware.”

Rhea nodded, letting out a sigh. “It seems as if more of these above ground pests keep seeping into our ranks every day. I have already opened my home to so many people, and yet they still swarm the fringes, believing that they deserve to be here… are you assessing the situation?”

“Yes, Lady Rhea. There have been few… fringe members that have been welcome into our ranks. The last person that crossed into our territory was Fraldarius.” Yuri set his teacup down, frowning.

“Of course, Dima’s friend…” Rhea sighed. “I fear that his attachment to the Fraldarius boy will cause trouble. Keep an eye on them, will you? And if things start to get… out of hand, please inform me.”

“As you wish, Lady Rhea.”

She nodded. “Summon the generals. I would like to speak to my flock.”

Yuri got up from his seat, bowing to Rhea before retreating to the door. When he walked into the hallway, he was disappointed to see that Hapi was gone, but headed in the opposite direction, his frown etched into his face.

He headed towards the common room, sticking his head in and glancing around. When he saw that no one was there, he sighed, closing his eyes and focusing on the magic that ran through his veins.

It responded, sluggish at first before it formed into a bird in the palm of his hand, tilting his head. “Rhea’s called a meeting. Summon the others. We’re meeting in the Generals’ room on the second floor.”

The bird took off, separating into several different birds before they took off in different directions, their colors shimmering in the distance. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes glinting as he saw a bird return. He lifted a hand, watching the fluttering of wings as it landed.

The magic bird cocked its head, letting out a whistle before bursting and Yuri sighed, crafting a new one. “I’ll let Rhea know that you’re playing nursemaid, keep me updated on his status.”

The bird chirped before disappearing and Yuri found himself walking to the generals’ room.

It was nearly an hour after he had sent out the messages, but Glenn, Hapi, Dedue, and Constance were already there, milling about the room. Hapi looked up, tilting her head.

“No Balthus?”

Yuri shook his head. “Felix’s condition is too unstable to leave him alone for long. Any information that comes up during this, I’ll pass along to him.”

“Does Sylvain know?” Constance asked, turning to him. “I haven’t seen him since Felix was poisoned, you know. He and Felix seemed… close.”

Yuri glanced at her. “I sent him a message the same as all of you. Last I heard, he went to the blue circle, was intending to stay down there for a few days. But yes, I suppose they are close."

"Do you think Gautier had something to do with this?" Dedue asked, Yuri casting him a look.

"No, poison is too subtle for Sylvain. Besides, it was originally meant for Dima." Yuri turned to look at Dedue, studying the man.

Dedue's gaze tightened, his eyes narrowing. "There has been unrest in the rings. Is it possible it has spread to our home?"

Yuri studied Dedue, shaking his head ever so slightly. "It could well be a faction of people wishing to harm Lady Rhea. There was that group that believed she lived in luxury, while they wallowed in the mud."

“But we took care of them,” Dedue murmured.

“I know.” Yuri frowned.

The discussion fell silent as Rhea swept into the room, followed by Seteth and Byleth. Sylvain followed last, giving Yiri a look before he moved to stand as far away from the others as he could be while still being included.

"As you all know, one of our own has been poisoned. While the attack was meant for our beloved Prince, it fell on an innocent bystander. This is unacceptable and this will be considered an attack on us all."

Yuri watched as Rhea stopped, folding her hands in front of her. Her eyes gleamed, the only thing that truly showed her anger.

"It is your job to ensure that the circles are kept in harmony. An attack on us will mean that they could be attacked. We must remind them that the Center will allow for no such disharmony to linger between us. All of the cooks have been dealt with. We have begun to hire new staff and vet them.” She gestured to everyone in the room.

The generals all shifted, watching as Rhea cast a glance about them all.

“It will be dealt with.” Yuri stepped forward, meeting Rhea’s gaze. “I will ensure there is no other danger lurking in our staff and see where the unrest in the circles lay. We may need to keep the Third Ring away for a day or two, as we resettle and see where we need to shore up our defences.”

Rhea nodded. “As of now, we will begin our investigations as to how deep this treachery runs. We will clear out the rats before they infest the fields.”

Yuri nodded, Rhea having little else to add. She swept out of the room, Yuri turning to his generals as Seteth followed her. He arched an eyebrow, settling down in a chair into a more informal discussion, Byleth offering little bits of information when he could.

~*~*~*~*~

“Sylvain.”

Sylvain let out a sigh as he heard his name, turning to look at the speaker. He studied Yuri, finding a gaze he so desperately wanted to hide from.

“I’m about to head down to the second circle, is this going to be quick? I would hate to be in the way, you know.” He didn’t have to be down there, but he didn’t want to be up here, either.

Yuri nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Can we trust Felix?”

Sylvain shifted his stance, glancing from Yuri to the hallway. They were alone, the silence of the night absolute. The meeting had run too long for his likes and he wanted a drink above all else. “Yes. Rhea though… she’s going to be watching us even more closely. She thinks something is going to happen, even if she’s not sure where it’s from.”

Yuri nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Of course, of course. We’re going to have to put our plan in motion, soon. With this attack on Dima…”

“Did the cook really think it was going to affect Dima? They all know he doesn’t eat in the dining hall, so what would have been the point? Why try it? Did they think we would be brought low if the Prince died?” Sylvain made a gesture around them, watching Yuri’s posture change.

“Do you think she saw a chance and took it?” Yuri tilted his head, his smile turning into a frown. “If she was aware that Dima didn’t eat in the dining hall, could she have made a bid without considering the consequences?”

It really had been a long meeting and Sylvain sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It’s giving Rhea a distraction, but she’s already been preoccupied the past week or so and Dima’s been talking with her more often.”

“Do you think this has to do with Dominic?”

Sylvain grimaced. “Dima’s upset and Glenn’s… well, he and Felix were close when they were children. Glenn was always watching out for his younger brother. This was an injustice to Felix and Glenn is angry.”

It had been apparent in the meeting, with the way Glenn stared at Rhea and then shifted to glaring at a wall, opting to not contribute. Sylvain wasn’t even sure he had been listening to most of the conversation. Everyone had been distracted.

Work, to Sylvain, almost seemed meaningless if Felix wouldn’t be okay.

Yuri listened to the words, nodding at Sylvain. “Can we-”

“No. I am not using Felix to get to Glenn. But, I can talk to him.”

Yuri held up his hands, letting out a sigh. “Understandable. Thank you for the information, Sylvain.”

Sylvain nodded. “How is Felix?”

It was the one thing no one had wanted to ask.

“He’s recovering, slowly. He’ll live, so you can reassure both Dima and Glenn, before either of them go on a rampage.” Yuri considered Sylvain. “Would you leave with him, if you could?”

Sylvain nodded, distracted as he glanced down the hall. “If it were possible, sure. But... how soon, do you think?”

“I don’t know, but it has to be soon. Much longer and someone will miss a step in this game. As soon as I know, I will let you know.”

Sylvain nodded, tilting his head towards Yuri. “Thank you.”

“Of course, you have a pleasant day, Sylvain.”

Sylvain watched Yuri walk away, letting out a huff and dragging a hand through his hair. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Finding out what happened with Felix!
> 
> ... which was actually supposed to be this chapter, but then it would have been like, an 8k update and I'm not doing that. So, next chapter!
> 
> Fun fact: Before, I just had Felix be poisoned to be poisoned, now there's an actual reason/plot behind to _why_ he was being poisoned!


	22. Dreams Remembered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter: Took nearly two weeks to write.  
> This chapter: I'll let you edit me in 30 minutes if you add two scenes and move one scene and it'll be super simple!

“Was anything Hanneman told you useful?”

Claude looked up as Edelgard swept into the office, her hair pulled up and out of her face for the day.

“Good morning to you, too.” Claude yawned, cracking his jaw as he glanced away from Edelgard to the binders Hanneman had dropped off. “He showed me the blood testing machine, didn’t go into a lot of detail about how it managed to extract the information about the crest.”

“Did he say if he was able to determine which crest a person had with the blood sample?” Edelgard sat down across Claude, looking at the binders.

“No, that’s why Linhardt was researching genealogy. He admitted as much that he was speculating which crest someone carried based on bloodlines.” Claude gestured behind him to the piles of Linhardt’s notes as he spoke.

Edelgard huffed, shaking her head. “Do you think he has a connection to the murderer?”

“Maybe.” Claude turned to look at the board behind them, his eyes narrowing. “However, he only knew two of the victims.”

“It’s possible that he only recently caught the interest of the person murdering them.”

Claude frowned. “But what would they want with a hist…” he trailed off, sighing, “do you think he’s researching this because of someone else?”

“What could they be offering him?” Ingrid asked, lifting her head from her own work. She was nearly buried under Linhardt’s notes, blinking at Edelgard. “Hello, Edelgard.”

“Good afternoon Ingrid, how are you?” Edelgard asked, turning her head to her.

Ingrid smiled. “I’m doing well! Ashe and I got married at the courthouse over the weekend.”

“Congratulations, and please pass along my well wishes to Ashe as well.” Edelgard turned, looking back at the notes. “Are those…”

“These are the last of Linhardt’s notes. I’m almost done sorting them and have been taking down interesting notes of my own. It seemed as if he was working on finding a living descendent of the Daphnel line, before he was murdered.” Ingrid glanced at the picture of Linhardt, turning to look back at Edelgard.

Claude opened his mouth to say something, Catherine sticking her head into the office with a glance at Edelgard. “Have you three heard at all from Felix?”

Edelgard glanced at Claude to Ingrid, turning back to Catherine. “About a week and a half ago, my contact Underground got a message up. He had seen and spoken with Mr. Fraldarius, though not at any great lengths. We can assure, as of last week, that he was still alive.”

Catherine raised an eyebrow, nodding once. “Making any headway on the case?”

Edelgard sighed, shaking her head. “As soon as we know something concrete, we’ll let you know.”

Catherine nodded, withdrawing from the room and shutting the door behind her. Edelgard took a seat, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“You still don’t think it’s a good idea to tell Catherine about the magic?” Claude asked.

Edelgard arched an eyebrow. “We may have to, if we want to explain why we can’t arrest anyone in this case. If it is someone in the Underground, they have to be deep enough to hide. We can rule out the fringes…”

“They would be in the center.” Ingrid spoke up, looking up once more. “We know that.”

“And we can’t go down there and just arrest everyone there.” Edelgard finished. “Without concrete proof that this Rhea is the one that’s causing the murders…”

“Are we certain it’s Rhea?” Claude asked, sitting back in his seat. “We know that she’s the leader and that she has a… fascination with Dima and…” His gaze skirted to Ingrid and she sighed.

“Rhea’s the one person that keeps coming to mind.” Ingrid set her pen down, frowning. “And we won’t be able to arrest her.”

“Then what’s the point?” Claude asked, slumping back in his seat.

“Someone is helping Rhea and finding the people that are related to the crest bearers. It’s possible that, if we find that contact, then we can put a hold on the operation.”

“And you think it’s Hanneman.”

Edelgard and Claude stared each other down, Claude looking away first. Edelgard nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yes, but… again, there’s no proof.”

“Other than he was researching the crests,” Ingrid muttered. “Linhardt was looking into the Daphnel line, before he was murdered. What if that was who the next target should have been?”

“But they went after Annette instead,” Edelgard mused.

Ingrid nodded. “Linhardt was still piecing together the family line. With him dead, there would have been no one left to finish the work, so he went onto an easier target. Hanneman is interested in crests and families that bore the traces of crests in their blood, he would be interested in.”

“And that’s not such a wild idea for a history professor to be looking into,” Claude grumbled.

“I’ll start writing a report for Catherine, then. As of now, it seems like Hanneman is our best lead. Any objections?”

Ingrid shook her head, shoulders slumped. “He’s been on those digs, too, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, but that means he’s been out of town for at least two murders,” Claude muttered, “which gives him an alibi.”

“Has he ever told you where those digs were located?” Edelgard asked.

Claude thought for a moment, shaking his head. “No, he wouldn’t even tell me who was working on those sites with him. Do you think he made them up?”

Edelgard crossed her arms over her chest, frowning down at the table. “It’s possible that he was using them as a smoke screen. I’ll see if he has any connections to the underground. You two keep working on this.” 

“Sounds good,” Ingrid yawned.

Edelgard turned, shaking her head when she caught Claude’s look. “If we get a missive from Ferdinand, I will let you know, but there hasn’t been anything recently.”

Claude nodded, turning back to the binders that Hanneman had brought. He flipped through the pages, looking at the typed up notes and the crests that were labeled next to them.

~*~*~*~*~

Felix drifted in the semi blackness, his body twitching on occasion. There was pain, a coldness that leached at his bones like a living thing. He remembered...

They had been walking, talking about something, something that Felix hadn't been wanting to talk about. His brother, maybe? Something about his brother, something unpleasant.

The boy had been walking beside him, his gaze solemn as he spoke, each movement remiensent of something that Felix couldn't quite place. He shifted, his limb hitting something that was solid in the water.

He reached out, opening his eyes and letting out a small wheeze as the water gripped at him, threatening to pull him down. The boat rocked against his movements and he clung to it, groaning.

Everything still hurt too much, but he knew the river. He had been there before, when he was a teenager. It was the place he had never liked going in his dreams, the place that he would sink ever closer to.

"Well, it seems like you got into a bit of trouble again, huh?"

The voice caused Felix to blink and he looked up, watching the shadowy face of a man with red hair. He knew him, had seen him recently, but he wasn't certain if it was something he wanted to place. It would only...

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The words were a struggle to gasp out and the man frowned, the boat rocking as he moved closer to him.

"Will you let me help you?" the man asked, holding out a hand. Felix looked up at it, watching the man shift. He was standing in the small boat, his mouth forming into a frown.

"I don't know you." Felix's grip threatened to slip on the boat and he looked upwards, watching the stars dance above him.

"That hurts a lot, Fe. And there I thought you loved me."

Felix laughed, drawing in a breath when he nearly choked on water. "I don't love-"

Maybe that statement wasn't as true as he wanted it to be. There was a certain longingness whenever Felix looked at him, a certain _something_ that made him want to reach out. He could reach out to him, lift one hand and still hold onto the boat. He knew the man there, trying to help him. He understood the attempts.

Felix drew in a breath, lifting one hand shakily. The cold tried to drag him down and he cried out as the man gripped his hand, fingers digging into his wrist.

"Hey, Felix, it's okay to let go, we got you."

Felix let out a whine, eyes going wide as his grip slipped. He tried to scramble forward, his hand losing its hold on the side of the boat. He wanted to pull himself closer, to hold tight but he couldn't bring himself to as the hand that still held him shifted, skin melting against the bone.

Felix screamed, heat enveloping him as the thing wearing Sylvain's face dropped him into the waters below, fire replacing the cold that had licked at his bones and joints. He shuddered, each movement making his stomach roll and he turned, finding the contents of his stomach being spilled.

"Hey now, be careful if you can."

The voice made him pause, Felix taking in a ragged breath. There was something warm that was patting him between the shoulders, the gentleness not matching up with the way the hand felt, rough even through the layers of clothing and blankets he was bundled in.

Felix dropped onto the soft surface of the bed, closing his eyes and taking in a breath. "What... happened?"

The words were hoarse as they came out of his throat and he could still feel the sensation of the water lapping at him. He rolled onto his back, taking in the light in the ceiling above them. The blankets were left behind, giving him room to breathe once more.

"Ah, someone poisoned you."

Felix shifted, staring at the man. Balthus was sitting on the bed, legs crossed with something that he had been reading set to the side.

"Poisoned...?"

Balthus nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, a heavy duty poison too, which meant that the person wasn't actually targeting you. Rhea's pissed. She killed the cook who did it."

"Why?" He wasn’t sure what he was questioning, but the room was coming into focus beyond Balthus.

Balthus frowned at the question, reaching over and pressing his hand to Felix's forehead. "You're still way too chilled for my liking. You're going to have to get back under the blankets, even if you feel like they're suffocating you."

Felix blinked. He hadn't even noticed the way he was shaking until it had been pointed out.

"We've been fighting off the poison and your fever broke last night, for what it’s worth. I suppose that is to say, your body temperature finally rose to the point where we didn't have to worry about hypothermia killing you. Constance and Yuri still haven't been able to figure out what poison they used, but you shouldn’t be poisoned again."

"Cookie."

Blathus nodded in time with that statement, his face a serious mask. "Yup, that would be what did it. It's the one thing that the cook gave to Dima directly. Like I said, Rhea’s pissed."

Felix shifted, finding himself covered by blankets once more. His fingers curled into one, the heat chasing away the dreams of the man in the boat and the cold.

"Hey, if you're still awake when Hapi comes in, you might be able to eat something. That would be good, if we could get some soup..."

Balthus's voice trailed off as Felix shifted, drifting into the darkness once more. It was different than the last time, soothing rather than horrifying. He wasn't as cold and he was awake when Hapi did come by, a tray held in her hands.

"Are you finally reading through those reports we compiled for you ages ago, Balthus?" She made a tsk’ing, clicking her tongue.

"Hey now, I've been working on them. Felix is awake, by the way. It looks like he'll recover soon enough that he can go back into the big, wide world on his own." Balthus gestured, Felix shifting in his nest of blankets.

If he had the energy, he would snap at Balthus, say something, but instead he just grunted and closed his eyes, hoping that they wouldn't need to really talk to him. Hapi prodded at him, sitting down on the bed and holding the spoon out.

"Come on, you need to eat something."

Felix gave her a look, Hapi rolling her eyes.

"You may not want to eat, but none of us want Dima being upset that you accidently died because he shared a cookie with you."

Felix huffed. "Better me than him."

Hapi frowned. "That cookie wouldn't have killed him."

Balthus nodded, looking over from his reading. "She's right. The kid would have been fine. Actually, he would have eaten ten of the cookies and been fine. The puppets, spirits, whatever you want to call them... they're not something to be trifled with. It's hard to kill them through things like that.”

"Puppets?" Felix asked, accepting the bowl of soup once he freed his hands. He wouldn't allow Hapi to spoon feed him, not when he could do it himself.

"That's what we've taken to calling them," Balthus agreed, “they aren’t really human, anymore. Well, you’ve talked to Linhardt.”

“Yeah…” Felix gave them a look.

"Linhardt’s been really nice. He and Flayn have been helping the rest of us understand more about them," Hapi explained, "they're... little more than puppets, sometimes. They're in control of their movements, but they aren't... themselves, if that makes sense. You've been spending a lot of time with Dima, surely you've seen that."

"Yeah, I guess." He placed the spoon in his mouth, needing to keep his hands busy. He could agree that Glenn acted like a puppet, and Dominic was strange in her own way, guarded with no sign of the woman that she had once been. Felix's stomach flipped and he set the soup down, closing his eyes.

"Too much?" Hapi asked, taking it from him before it spilled on the bed.

Felix nodded, his stomach taking the respite to settle once more.

"Well, it looks like the reports are in order, Hapi." Balthus shifted, moving to set the papers to the side. "Not sure what else you wanted me to look over."

Hapi rolled her eyes. "I wanted a third pair of eyes to make sure they were done right. You could have read them a week ago, Balthus, instead of complaining every time I asked you to."

Balthus laughed, shaking his head. "Then I wouldn't have had anything to do while I was watching over Felix. See, that's where the boring paperwork comes into play. I get to complete two boring tasks at once."

"Didn't know I was so boring."

Balthus looked at him. "No, but you do talk in your sleep, did you know that?"

Felix grimaced, wishing he still had the soup to blame for the heating of his face. Not that it mattered, he was easily exhausted once more, the lingering remnants of poison still threatening to dig into him.

Or maybe that was the embarrassment of being reminded that he still talked in his sleep.

"Well, I'll check again in a few hours. I’ll let Lady Rhea know that Felix is awake. I am sure she will be delighted."

Felix frowned as Hapi left the room, Bathlus glancing over him. "You gave everyone quite a scare when Hapi found you vomiting in the greenhouse. Dima looked like he was going to rip someone to shreds on your behalf. He almost went after Hapi until Yuri knocked him out."

Felix gave him a look, Balthus shrugging. When he didn't respond, Balthus continued.

"We've been keeping you in my room in case the person who attacked Dima tried to come after you to finish the job. Though, if they were targeting Dima, I don't get why they would come after you. But, Yuri said you needed protection, so here you are."

Felix sighed. "To ensure the next time there wasn't a mistake."

Balthus let out a bark of a laugh. "That's the same thing he declared. You are practically glued to that kid's hip. There's no saying when he'll get tired of you, or if he will at all. But, maybe Yuri was right in bringing you down here."

Felix grimaced at that. The last dregs of the cold were leaving his body, the clinging sensation of water still present despite his best efforts. He didn't want to leave the warmth, but the sooner he could get up, the better.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Balthus reached out to stop Felix as he tried to get off the bed, the man letting out a snort.

"Back to my own room, I feel fine."

"No, it would be better if you stayed for another night. Make sure you're completely recovered." Balthus waved a hand as Felix started to protest, shaking his head. "We'd rather be on the safe side to ensure that you're healed. Dima... he wasn't happy. He wanted to get revenge on who had poisoned you right away. I want to ensure that he doesn’t jump you."

"Great."

Balthus raised an eyebrow. "There's no love lost between you two, is there?"

"Something like that."

"So, has Yuri talked to you?"

Felix gave him a look, frowning. Balthus glanced away, adjusting where he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You have to be more... specific."

Batlhus eyed him, letting out a sigh. "Well, I suppose if it's like that, I can't really guess what he talked to you about, hmm?"

Felix narrowed his eyes, pulling the blanket tighter around him. There was a moment of hesitation, Balthus shaking his head and looking away. Felix gave him a look, opting instead to look towards the wall. "Is he planning on starting something?"

Balthus let out a laugh, his gaze shifting away. "You were a police officer, weren't you?"

"Detective, but sure, close enough. I was on the police force and on their payroll. And you grew up down here."

Balthus nodded, looking back down at the new reports that Hapi had left upon retrieving the others. "Born and raised in the Underground. Course, we don't always call it that."

"What do you call it, then?"

"There isn't really a name for it, it's just... the circles and Garreg Mach. Nothing grand about it, if you think of it in those terms. Rhea... well, she's something else. She wanted something out of the Underground and she got it." Balthus watched Felix, glancing up when there was a knock on his door.

He got up and headed into the living room, gesturing for Yuri to come in. The man hesitated at the bedroom door, glancing at Felix still burrowed under his blankets, his mouth pulled into a frown.

"Rhea killed the cook responsible for making the poisoned cookies."

Felix glanced at him, opening his mouth before glancing away, shutting it.

"I already told him, don’t worry about that." Balthus remarked, eyeing Yuri up and down. The man lifted a hand, running it through his hair. Felix stared at the light purple, glancing towards the man before he smiled, winking back at Felix.

"Good. Of course, now there's additional unrest. Which means that we should be able to enact our plan, soon."

"What sort of plan?" Felix asked, looking between the two of them.

Yuri studied his nails, glancing up at Felix as he shifted his weight. "I don't approve of what Rhea is doing. We plan on taking her out."

"... why?"

Yuri raised an eyebrow, tilting his head towards Felix with a sly smile. "You've seen the acts of sin that she has created, killing innocent people to raise the dead so she can play her games. The newest one, Dominic, you knew her, didn't you?"

Felix shifted, hands curling into the blankets still wrapped around him. HIs body felt cold, his stomach rolling as he met Yuri's gaze. "She was... a friend."

"How different is she from what you remember?"

Felix blinked at him, shaking his head. "I'm sorry?"

Yuri watched him. "Rhea has been playing this game a long time. She's drawing undue attention to the Underground, to our home. The more cop types we have sniffing around here, the more unstable our city becomes. I want to put an end to that. An end to her... reign, so to speak."

Balthus let out a snort. "So, you really are going to bring him in on this?"

Yuri glanced at Balthus, raising an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

Felix glanced between the two of them, drawing in a deep breath through his nose. "I'll help you take Rhea down."

"Then I have a job for you."

Felix tilted his head. Yuri smiled at him, eyes glittering. When Felix didn't reply, Yuri's smile grew wider.

"Find the weaknesses of the spirits."

Felix weighed the words in his mind. "What do you intend to do with them?"

Yuri cocked his head. "They are... unnatural to this time, we can all agree on that. I want to release the spirits, to let the people she killed... truly rest."

"Fine."

Balthus glanced from Yuri to Felix, letting out a sigh. "And if someone decides to go after Felix instead?"

Felix glared, ignoring the still lingering coldness in his bones. "I'll be fine. Someone already tried something and I bore the brunt of it."

"Right, I'm sure you will." Yuri cocked an eyebrow, glancing at Balthus. "Now, let's talk about what we know of the spirits..."

~*~*~*~*~

Felix shifted as he stood outside of Rhea’s office, lifting a hand to the door. After another three days in Balthus’s care, he had been released. The first thing he had done was look for Sylvain. He had been informed by a very somber looking Dima that Sylvain was down in the Blue ring and wouldn’t be back for another couple of days.

After a quick conversation with Dima, who ensured that he was safe and alive, he had been sent to Rhea. It was with the parting promise that Felix would allow no other harm to come to him. He had given Dima what little promise he could before the child informed him Rhea wished to speak with him.

Felix frowned as he lifted a hand to the door, knocking on the wood. The soft, “come in,” drifted out and he pushed the door open, walking in.

Rhea was sitting at her desk, head tipped over her paperwork as she wrote. She was, Felix thought, drawing. When he sat down in front of her, she lifted another piece of paper to cover the sketch she had been working on, smiling at him.

“Felix, it’s so wonderful to see that you have healed from the poison. How are you feeling?”

Felix gave her a small shrug. “I’m doing better than I was.”

“I am glad to hear that, Felix. We were all so worried about your health. Dima, in particular, was quite upset with his mistake.” Rhea sat up straight, eyes settling on Felix as she reached up, pushing her hair behind her ear.

Felix nodded. “It was… an accident that I ate it, at any rate. I was informed that you killed the cook in question.”

“Of course, I could not let her deeds go unpunished. To try and attack one of my own, in my own home… the generals have been on the lookout for any others that may wish my family harm. Tell me, do you miss your family, Felix?”

Felix weighed the question, watching as Rhea stared him down, back straight. The office was orderly, the only thing out of place being the paper on Rhea’s desk.

“My father and I rarely speak and I have no other family to speak of.”

Rhea hummed at the statement. “And the sun?”

“It’s not so bad, down here.”

“Thank you, Felix. And I am pleased to see that you are healing well. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know.” Rhea smiled at him, waving her hand towards the door. Felix got up from his chair, retreating and heading to his own room, turning over what he learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Rhea is hard sometimes. There's a line. I don't know where the line is, but it's there.


	23. Cards in the Tomb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you know that chapter where Linhardt takes Felix down into the holy tomb?
> 
> This was the other half of that scene.
> 
> And _this original_ chapter was the second to last chapter! Now there's like.... several more chapters before the split.
> 
> .... tnh, this is more fluff/filler than I usually write, but ai love pinochle and it's my birthday, so. There.

"Who is this, again?"

Felix glanced at the short woman, meeting the curious pink eyes and blinking. She stared him down, her mouth pulled into a frown before she looked at Balthus. Currently, they were waiting for the cathedral doors to open, Balthus fiddling with something in his pocket.

Felix still didn't even feel that great. While the poison was out of his system, he couldn’t overexert himself, couldn’t be by himself, had to be on the constant lookout for another attempt.

"Felix Fraldarius and who are you?" Felix met her gaze, knowing he had seen her on a handful of occasions. The white hair was hard to miss, her perchance for sweets even harder.

"Lysithea Ordelia, not that you would have cause to know of me." She flicked her gaze over Felix, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah, come on, Lysithea, Felix isn't too bad of a man."

Felix tossed Balthus a glare, the man smiling down at him.

"But he was a cop."

"How did you-"

Lysthithea narrowed her eyes, looking away from him. "I'm good friends with Sylvain, is all. He mentioned you a handful of times."

Felix blinked at her, shifting in his stance. "Okay? I didn't realize Sylvain talked about me."

Lysithea snorted. "Like he-"

"Oh, look, the doors are opening."

Balthus shifted to look at the cathedral doors, cutting off Lysithea's response. Felix crossed his arms over his chest, grumbling under his breath before the crowd was shuffled into the room and seated.

Felix took in the room, his gaze landing on the dais at the front. It was empty, but it wouldn't be for long, he could tell. Balthus headed towards the front pew, guiding Felix along with him.

"What was Lysithea going to say?" Felix asked, glancing at Balthus as they sat down in the pew.

Balthus looked at him, frowning. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Felix opened his mouth but shut it, letting out a huff. His attention was torn when Rhea stepped forward, placing a hand on the dais. She tilted her head as the congregation filtered in, the other spirits taking their spots.

For now, Rhea called together those of the Third Circle and the Inner Sanctuary upon hearing of Felix's full recovery. She scanned the crowd, eyes narrowed as the last of the high ranking members filtered in. Behind her, her creations stood.

When Felix looked behind him, he found the ridiculous haircut of Lorenz and made a note to avoid the man at all possible costs.

Seteth and Byleth stood on either side of Rhea, the former watching the crowd with a wariness that the latter did not possess. Byleth flicked his gaze over the crowd, landing on Felix and he gave him a subtle nod.

Flayn stood to the right of Seteth, her hair pulled back and her gaze fixed on the crowd. She smiled, taking in all the people that filtered in.

The figure next to Flayn had his head bowed, dark hair spilling forward. His gaze lifted for the briefest of moments before it returned to the floor.

Dima stood on Byleth's left, the boy fidgeting as he tugged on his sleeve, gaze flicking to Felix. He had been happy when he had seen Felix again, promising that he hadn't meant to hurt him. It had been a mistake, he shouldn't have given Felix the cookie. Felix had spent twenty minutes trying to convince him that it was fine.

Next to Dima, Dominic stood, shoulders back and gaze forward. There was little of the clumsy woman that Felix had once known. Dominic tilted their head, gaze settling on Felix for the briefest of moments before they returned to staring ahead.

Felix shook himself as he looked around the cathedral, staring at the stained glass windows, wondering what light was reflecting through them. His gaze lowered to the floor and he stared at the marbel with the massive carving of a crest in the floor.

Rhea cleared her throat as the cathedral doors closed, folding her hands over her stomach with a smile. "Good evening, it's wonderful to see everyone here."

The congregation mumbled something in response, Rhea tilting her head. She shifted, lifting one hand.

"As you have been made aware, there has been an attack on one of my guests. I am very disappointed that any of you, who live so closely to the goddess and her will, would dare harm another that resides under her protection."

Rhea shifted her stance, bowing her head. The crowd stilled at these words, Felix resisting the urge to glance away. Looking down the pew of generals, he looked for Sylvain but found the man as absent as he had been the past week.

"Perhaps the fault lies with me, as we have fallen out of tradition. The world is slow moving. With each passing day..."

Rhea clears her throat, looking up once more and Felix felt the coldness of her gaze land on him.

"Any such person to be found striking against another under the protection of the goddess will be deemed unholy and cast aside. Already, I have had my beloved congregation try and poison my own son, who was only protected because of another. What would you have done if the Prince were to be gone from this realm?"

Felix shifted in his seat, feeling the tension streaming off Balthus. Yuri had protested Felix going with anyone else, insisting that Balthus was the most trustworthy. He had protested, asking about Sylvain, but Yuri had just shook his head in response, saying that Sylvain wouldn’t be there.

If Felix had his way, he wouldn't be sitting there, either. While Rhea continued on, Balthus shifted next to him, pulling out a flask from somewhere on his person.

His voice was low as Rhea continued to speak. "It's going to be a long... sermon, I'm sure. Want a drink?"

Felix looked at the flask, looking back up at Balthus. The man winked, glancing up towards the dais and the puppets. Felix took the flask, glancing at Rhea. She wasn't watching them, her eyes were closed and she was going on and on about the divine protection that she offered those around them.

He took the flask, judging the moment before he raised it to his lips, Balthus nodding in amusement as he passed the flask back, his eyes still set on Rhea. She had opened them, again, a small frown set upon her face.

Balthus and Felix spent the next forty minutes passing the flask back and forth until it was empty, Balthus slipping it back into his pocket. It was near the end of the sermon that Rhea sighed, bowering her head once more before she looked up, fixing her gaze on the other end of the wall.

"I only hope you understand the severity of your actions for those that dare point their weapons at the goddess's throat."

Rhea shifted her gaze, glancing at Felix and letting it linger longer than he preferred.

"You are dismissed."

The third circle citizens left first, Felix staying planted as Balthus waited. When Yuri appeared, he smiled at them.

"Lady Rhea requests your presence, Felix."

Felix wanted to scoff. It had become increasingly common for Rhea to send for him at all times of day the past three days. Now, he ignored Yuri’s statement, looking over the crowd before looking at Yuri.

"Where's Sylvain?"

Yuri shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. “I’m sure he’s busy doing other things, if he can’t be bothered to answer a summons from Lady Rhea. But, she has requested your presence, not his. You may want to get a move on before she becomes impatient.”

Felix stood from his seat, meeting Rhea's gaze across the way. She smiled at him, unfolding a hand to gesture towards the hallway to the left of her. Felix nodded, walking down the space between the pews and the dais.

"Felix, I am so glad that you were able to join us today. I was worried that you would relapse. How are you feeling?”

Felix nodded, meeting Rhea's gaze. "Yes, it's.. a blessing. I am feeling. Better." He glanced away from Rhea, towards where the rest of the generals were speaking, Yuri laughing. He turned back to Rhea, the woman frowning.

“Are you searching for someone, Felix?”

His gaze was returned to Rhea, who was smiling at him. He opened his mouth before he shook his head. “I was supposed to speak with Sylvain, but I haven’t seen him.”

“He has been quite busy, I fear. I wish he had been able to attend today, but alas, other matters capture his attention at the moment. Please, follow me.”

Felix froze as Rhea turned away from the main doors out, heading towards the back of the church. He glanced over his shoulder once more, hearing the tap of Rhea’s shoes come to a halt.

“Are you alright?” she asked, voice soft.

Felix shook himself, meeting Rhea’s gaze. “Where are we going?” he countered, moving to catch up with her.

Rhea smiled, gesturing towards the back of the church. “There is a gathering of sorts tonight. We would be honored if you joined us.” Her footsteps echoed off the marble and Felix shivered. If he concentrated hard enough, he could still smell the tea he had drunk when Rhea had first spoken with him.

They entered the side hallway, Rhea glancing at Felix. "I have matters to attend to, but I wish for you to remain with my family for the time being. I understand that you are close with the generals, and they do offer you plenty of protection. But, I would feel better if you stayed here."

Felix glanced at the door, licking his lips. He glanced at Rhea briefly, meeting her gaze and she just smiled, hair falling along her shoulders.

Felix swallowed after a moment, nodding. "Very well, I suppose I can't argue with that, can I?"

Rhea shook her head, opening the door. Felix stepped inside, hearing it shut before the lights brightened, leading him down the hall.

He found several of the others sitting around a table, a card game spread out with the other spirits clustered around, staring at the game.

Glenn looked up first when he heard Felix approach, offering the man a small, hesitant smile, before he dropped his gaze back to his cards.

Seteth sat across from him, gaze fixed on his own cards. Byleth sat between the pair, each person with their own stack of chips.

"What are you playing?" Felix asked, stopping just short of the table.

Seteth glanced up, blinking at him. "Pinochle, care to join?" he asked, gesturing to the chair across from Byleth. "We can restart the game and play with partners."

Felix shifted, glancing at Dominic, who was staring at Byleth's hand. He took a chance to glance around the room, catching sight of where Flayn and Dima were settling down on several couches, blankets strewn around them. Dima was giggling, pointing something out to the other.

Felix turned his attention back to the game.

"I don't know how to play."

"We will teach you." Byleth set his cards on the table, meeting Felix's gaze. He gestured towards the chair across from him and Felix sat.

"Do you play... often?" Felix asked, watching as the other two threw in their cards and Byleth pulled in the cards, piling them and organizing the edges to begin shuffling. Seteth pushed all the ships to one side, Glenn setting his own back in a holder.

Byleth let Seteth fix his own chips, the green haired man sitting back. "We play as often as we can. Rhea will be our fourth, if she's up for a game. It's rare that we play four handed, as Flayn and Dima have little interest in learning."

"Flayn... is a new addition, isn't she?" Felix questioned, watching Byleth shuffle.

“Flayn has been with us since the Blue Sea Moon. Dominic is our newest member.”

Dominic turned her attention to Seteth and Felix. She smiled at them, gaze almost glassy. "Cethleann is a wonderful person," Dominic murmured, Byleth picking the cards up once he was finished shuffling. "It's so nice to see our niece again."

Glenn nodded, picking up his cards as Byleth dealt them out. He glanced at Felix, the man picking up his own. "So, how do you play?"

"You want to have a family in one suit," Seteth responded. "Aces are high, then you have the tens, kings, queens, jacks, and nines. You will bid on the suit you believe has the strongest possibility of winning, this will become trump if you win the bid and name it. Your goal is to make a family. Extra kings, queens, and nines of the trump suit count for more points."

Felix looked at his cards, arranging them as he picked them up. "So, you want a family. And you win if you... get the bid and can make a family?"

Seteth shook his head. "If you win the bid, you'll name your trump suit. From there, your partner will pass you three cards. Then you'll lay down your family, if you have it, and any extra points -marriages, rounds of aces, jacks, queens, or kings, pinochle, which consists of a jack of diamonds and queen of spades- you may have. Once you have lain down your meld, you will give your partner three cards in return. You want to have enough meld to cover your bid. Once you have laid down your meld, your partner will lay down anything they have as meld, as will Fraldarius and myself. Thenr, you will total itm the goal is to have more meld than your original bid."

"Okay, so we lay down the meld and... that ends the game?" Felix asked with a frown, scratching the side of his head.

Glenn smiled at his cards, shaking his head as Byleth sorted his own hand and began answering Felix’s question.

"No, from there, starting with whoever won the bid, you will place a card down, in an attempt to win tricks. Usually, people will lead with their ace of trump. Then, Seteth will lay a card. He will either play a non-counter of the same suit or play something of another suit if he does not have something of trump. However, the main point is to follow the lead card that was placed down."

"Okay, but what if... say... Seteth lays something from the suit of clubs, but I don't have one?" Felix asked with a frown.

"Then, if you do not have a club and say... the trump suit is diamonds, then you would like a diamond."

"And if I don't have a diamond?" Felix asked, looking at the cards in his hand.

"Then, you would play something of another suit."

"And if I did lay a diamond?"

"The cards would be yours to add to your total if you won the trick. If someone else lays a higher card in diamonds, they would win the trick. If it’s your partner leading the bid, you want to lay down a counter, to help support them, or cover them if they lay a low card and you can." Byleth explained. "If you take the trick, you would be in lead of laying down. It gets easier the more you play."

Feli stared at them, glancing from Byleth to Glenn. Glenn stared at his hand, tapping two fingers, then five against the table.

Felix glanced at his own hand, frowning. "What if I don't want to bid?" he asked.

"Then you pass, but you have to let your partner know if you are blank suited." Seteth frowned, “however, it’s considered impolite to make your partner bid, as they may call trump in your blank suit.”

"What does being blank suited mean?" Felix looked at his cards again, frowning.

"It's if you don't have any card in a suit. The one exception is if you only have a nine in one suit. You are still considered blank suited. But don’t let that stop you,” Byleth added, “because you could have a full family and your partner could be blank suited. To show that you are blank suited, you skip bid, saying twenty six, instead of twenty five, if you are opening the bid. That informs your partner that you are blank suited and they can make their own choice from there.”

“So, you are still welcome to bid even if I declare I’m blank-suited?” Felix asked.

Seteth let out a hum. “That is up to them and you to decide. They have the possibility of naming the suit that you are blank in, but they may also have a family in that suit. But, again, nines don’t count.”

"But... don't the nines count for points?" Felix asked, looking up at Byleth.

"Nines only count if they are a nine of trump. A nine of trump can overpower... say an ace of another suit. While, even if you win the bid but can't get the rest of your meld with tricks, the nines will save themselves and be their own point."

"Why are there self-saving nines?" Felix grumbled.

Seteth just sighed. "Even if you end up losing your bid and can’t make enough meld, you can still save your one to two points for the nine. Think of them as… water floats, if you must. Let's play a few hands and see how you do," he suggested, "Glenn started the bid at twenty five. It's up to you to pass or bid."

"Can... I get help?" Felix asked, looking at the cards. Seteth glanced at Glenn, placing his hand on the table.

"I pass, but let me help Felix." He smiled at Byleth, leaning over and looking at his hand.

"What happens if we don't get enough... tricks? Or meld to cover the... bid?" Felix asked as Seteth rearranged his hand.

"You go set, the other team takes your set, and the next person, generally the person to your left, deals." Byleth looked up from his own hand. "You shall see, as we play."

"I would suggest passing," Seteth said, sitting back in his seat. Felix looked at his cards, staring at the queens and kings before looking at Byleth.

"Fine, I pass." Felix tapped his cards against the table, glancing between Glenn and Byleth. He settled down and watched the game unfold.

~*~*~*~*~

It was nearly three hours later when Felix pried himself from the card table, turning his attention to the other two spirits. Dominic had watched intently, taking his seat once he left and smiling at Byleth. The spirit had only glanced at Felix once, offering him a slight wink and a tiny wave before they had returned to studying the card game.

He walked over to the other two sitting on the couch, a board game between them. When Felix glanced further in the room, he could see the same eerie green glowing light that had been down here the first time Linhardt had taken him.

Flayn looked up with a smile when Felix stopped, her eyes glimmering in the light. “It’s wondrous that you were well enough to join us for game night, Felix!”

Dima perked up as well, though his gaze was more guarded as he regarded Felix. “How are you feeling?”

Felix nodded at them both. “I’m doing better. What are you two playing?”

“Life!” Flayn gestured towards the board, glancing back down at it. “We are almost finished, if you would like to join us for another round!”

Felix looked at the board, shaking his head. “Actually, I was hoping to speak with Linhardt?”

Flayn frowned, glancing away from Felix. “I’m afraid he’s not.”

Felix nodded, glancing at Dima. “What is this place? I haven’t seen it before.”

“It’s the meeting chambers of the family.” Flayn tilted her head, studying Felix. “It’s rarely used, but we have game nights down here, when Rhea lets us.”

“Does that happen often?” Felix asked.

Dima shook his head. “Lately, she’s been too busy. This is our first one since Flayn joined us!”

Felix nodded, Dima smiling up at him. His smile faded, his gaze drifting to the other end of the room, with the tiered seating Felix couldn’t see. Dima’s smile returned as he watched Felix.

“It’s going to be better once you join us!”

Flayn scoffed. “Come on, Dima, let’s finish our game. Then, Felix can join us!”

Felix nodded after a moment, watching the end of the game before Dima moved the board to the table, setting it up for the three of them. Felix looked up when he felt eyes on him, meeting Byleth’s glance. The other smiled, returning to the card game that was unfolding once again.


	24. To Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're winding down to the split. I was hoping that I would have the multiple endings done by now, but... the last few months have been super bad depression times, so. This may not have the endings right away as I was planning. But, here's to hoping!

Felix tapped his fingers against his arm, watching the flurry of activity at the other end dining hall. He sat next to Lysithea, the woman turning a page in her book. He turned to look at it, tapping a finger against his upper arm.

"What are you reading?"

Lysithea glanced at him, letting out a snort. "As if you care." She turned another page, looking back down at the text.

Felix rolled his eyes, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table. He glanced over Lysithea's shoulder, grimacing at the book. "More sweets?"

Lysithea huffed, pushing hair out of her face. "They're good for you!"

"Don't sweets like, stunt your growth or something?" Felix looked her up and down, Lysithea puffing out her cheeks and looking away.

"I figured there might be something I can make you in here."

"I'm not eating cake."

Lysithea met his gaze, raising an eyebrow. "What about a spice cake?"

Felix stared at her, shaking his head. "I'm not going to eat cake."

"It won't be bad!" Lysithea stood up, tucking the book against her chest. "You, stay right here. I'll be back."

Felix opened his mouth but shut it, crossing his arms over his chest again and stared at the table. For the past two weeks, he had always been with someone. Whether it was Sylvain or one of Yuri's people, he was babysat. Even his insistence that he would be fine and that he could handle himself didn’t give Yuri any comfort.

It did give him some reprieve from Dima, at the least. He wasn’t as willing to approach Felix when he was with Lysithea. He had confided in Felix that Lysithea felt weird, even to him.

However, it was worse when it was only Dima, the child keeping Felix to the training grounds or the gardens, excitedly telling Felix all the different plants and flowers and their uses.

"You look deep in thought."

Felix glanced up when Sylvain sat down next to him, letting out a snort. "I'm hanging out with Lysithea."

Sylvain glanced to the left than the right, looking back at Felix. "You sure are."

Felix rolled his eyes. "She's in the kitchen, she's convinced that she can find me a cake that I'll actually eat."

Sylvain snorted. "That's such a... not a terrible idea, actually. Hey, Ly-"

Felix reached out, tugging Sylvain from his half standing position. "Don't you _dare_."

"Want to go out with me?" Sylvain asked instead, turning to look at Felix with a smile.

Felix opened his mouth, closing it and frowning at Sylvain. "Out where? Rhea doesn't want me leaving the Sanctuary."

Sylvain snorted, shaking his head even as his smile faltered just a fraction. "What she doesn't know won't kill her, I'm sure."

Felix gave him another look, glancing away. He pulled his hand away from Sylvain's wrist, crossing it back over his chest. "How can you stay down here?"

Sylvain frowned, glancing towards the front of the dining hall, where the kitchen was hidden. "I don't want to."

"Then leave."

Sylvain glanced at Felix, cocking an eyebrow. "And leave things only half finished with Yuri?"

Felix shifted his gaze around the dining hall, Sylvain letting out a sigh. There were less people around than usual, even as the midday sky burned outside of the dining hall, a small reminder of what people had given up to be down here for.

"Is he making a move soon?" Felix asked, swallowing back the unease that bubbled up to his chest.

Sylvain shifted, moving closer to Felix and pressing his thigh against Felix's. "Yeah, I'm sure he will be. He’s very thankful for the information you gave him." His voice was soft, breath brushing against Felix's ear. "But, I suppose this isn't really the place to talk to you about it. Why don't we go visit Ferdinand?"

Felix blinked at him, jerking his head away. "Why?"

Sylvain shrugged, his gaze shifting. "You seem to have a thing for redheads, is all."

"I do not."

"Do you?" Sylvain blinked at him, offering him a smile. He pulled away as Felix shoved at him, the man narrowing his eyes.

"Ugh, fine, let's just. Go somewhere else. Away from Lysithea."

Sylvain laughed, standing up from the bench and offering Felix a hand. "You're so prickly. Nothing will ever change that, will it?"

Felix stared up at him, Sylvain shaking his head. They headed out of the dining hall, Sylvain steering Felix towards the hidden door near the front of the Inner Circle. He remembered the way Yuri had glanced both ways before he had opened it, but Sylvain opened it with a casualness that spoke of frequent use.

Felix stepped into the room, watching the door slide shut and Sylvain was already brushing past him, opening the door to let the blue lights filter into the air.

"What are those, anyway?"

"Warp pads, good for transporting between the three circles and the inner circle. Of course, the ones in the outer circles only work to get you to the inner circle and there are parts where each circle connects to each other. But the inner circle warps will let you go anywhere you want to. You just have to have the right pin for the right section and the right circle." Sylvain explained this as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind his hair, deep in thought.

Felix watched him, swallowing back the nerves that threatened to overtake him. “That sounds… complicated.”

“Not really, you just have to understand the method behind it.” Sylvain stepped into the street of the Blue Circle, holding a hand out to Felix. Felix took it, the pair making their way across the streets.

"Do you like it down here?"

Sylvain shifted, letting out a sigh. "It..." he hesitated, glancing at Felix. "It feels more like home than the Gautier manner ever did."

"Would you come back?" Felix asked, following Sylvain's lead. He wasn't sure of the path they were taking, but he was confident that Sylvain wouldn't lead them astray.

"There's a couple of things I would go back to." Sylvain glanced at Felix, stared at him, before he looked away. "I'm not sure if I can, though."

"You could live with me."

Sylvain laughed, stopping Felix. People shuffled out of their way as they stood still, several of them recognizing Sylvain on sight.

"I would like that."

"Then, come back with me. Leave this... down here. You don't have to be down here, you know. You could... come back."

Sylvain nodded, reaching up and touching Felix's cheek. "I'll think about it," he murmured.

Felix's gaze shifted, eyes going hard. "Asshole, don't think about it, just do-"

Sylvain leaned down, kissing Felix softly. Felix blinked, taking a step back as the man let out a sigh.

"Sorry, you told me to not think." He smirked, eyes glittering.

Felix opened his mouth, feeling the heat flush through him. "About coming back to the topside, idiot," he hissed when he realized that they had drawn several pointed gazes. Sylvain stood next to Felix once more, taking his hand and pulling him along.

"I'll think about that, too."

Felix huffed, stopping short when the smell of burning something hit him. Sylvain went still, looking up before he cursed, picking up his speed. Felix let himself be dragged along. They stopped outside a house, Sylvain letting out a curse. He moved to grab a weapon, finding that he had left everything behind.

Felix unsheathed his sword, stepping forward.

"Well, that's a burning body if I've ever seen one." Sylvain let the casual mark slide down around them, staring at the body. The orange hair was the only thing recognizable. Sylvain looked up at the crowd of people, taking in a breath. He held up a hand. "General at work, move along. Bring buckets of water so we can save the body."

The people stared before they got to moving, many of them running back indoors to draw the water. Felix took a step back, placing a hand over his mouth as the face of Ferdinand von Aegir shifted in the flames, skin melting off.

He turned to the side, finding his guts rolling before he heaved, tasting nothing but bile.

~*~*~*~*~

"Try it."

Felix looked at the cake that Lysithea set before him, glancing up at her and opening his mouth before he looked away.

"He just saw his friend burn to death. I don't think cake is what he needs, kiddo." Balthus accepted the smack across his arm, Lysithea glaring at him.

"Cake makes everything better. And don’t call me kiddo!" Lysithea huffed, staring Balthus down.

"It really doesn't." Felix shifted from where he was sitting, staring at the table. He was back in the dining hall, Sylvain having called someone to come collect him while he stayed in the Blue Circle, dealing with the brutal murder of Ferdinand.

"Weren't you a detective?" Balthus asked, turning to study Felix. “Bodies should be the easy part of being down here.”

Felix glanced at him. "It's different when it's someone you know."

"You've seen death before. Surely it can't have been that bad." Lysithea nudged the plate towards him, frowning. "If you had just stayed in here, then you wouldn't have witnessed it. You can blame Sylvain for deciding to take you anywhere."

Felix opened his mouth, shutting it and shaking his head. "That's not the point. Ferdinand was..." Felix trailed off, wondering what he knew of the man. It really wasn't much different than any of the other cases he had solved, over the years. People were killed for all sorts of reasons. He hadn't even known Ferdinand that well.

But Ferdinand had been his _only_ contact to the outside world. Maybe that's what got under his skin.

"Will you please just try the cake?" Lysithea asked, batting her eyes at Felix. "It might not make anything better, but it would make me feel better. It's spicy, it's not even that sweet."

Balthus nodded, glancing between them. "She really outdid herself on the aspect of cake making."

Felix let out a sigh, picking up the fork. "If I eat this, will you leave me alone?"

"No, but I won't keep asking you to eat it and demanding you tell me what you think." Lysithea met his gaze, cocking her eyebrow.

Felix leveled a look at Lysithea, sighing and turning back to the cake. He took a small piece of it, stuffing it in his mouth and grimacing.

When the overly bearing taste of sweet didn't hit him, he frowned.

"Oh, come on, it can't be _that_ bad!" Lysithea cried, watching his face.

Felix swallowed the bite, glancing at her. "It wasn't the worst thing I've eaten. It's not overly sweet, I'll give you credit for that."

Lysithea beamed at him, preening under his words. "See, I can make a cake you would like!"

Felix opened his mouth to argue, watching as the doors to the dining hall burst in and Dima ran through, his eyes narrowed with fury.

"Sylvain told me what happened to Ferdinand." The child stopped in front of Felix, looking up at him. "We'll figure out who killed him and it will be dealt with."

"You don't need to be swinging the axe on anyone's head, kid." Balthus shifted in his seat, Felix taking another bite of cake so he didn't have to answer. Lysithea beams at him, slamming her hands on the table, which caused Dima to jump.

"I knew you'd like it!"

"Is... Felix eating cake?" Dima asked, glancing from the plate to Felix. Felix let out a groan, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"I'm going to my room." He stood up, placing the fork on the table before he headed off, enjoying the moment of solitude as his mind drifted to Sylvain and the kiss they shared. He glanced up when he felt a pair of eyes on him, Glenn watching him from the shadows of a doorway before he vanished.

~*~*~*~*~

The room was quiet as Claude shuffled through the papers, a frown on his face. He was in early, bags under his eyes driving him to work.

He drummed his fingers against the table top, setting aside the genealogy records and the crest papers before he dragged a hand through his hair.

"Rough day?"

Claude jumped as he heard the voice, turning to stare at the man in the doorway. He looked tired, his hair hanging limply around his face. Something that may have been charcoal was smudged across his face and Claude raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't give in person reports?"

Ferdinand let out a huff, his voice cracking only slightly. "Yes, well, the unrest in the Underground has spread. Since the poison attempt on Fraldarius-"

"What? Is Felix okay?" Claude demanded, his eyes going wide.

Ferdinand huffed again, clearing his throat. "Yes, Felix is fine. He made a full recovery, thanks to the aid of Constance and Balthus. Good people, those. But, I was given a warning to get out of the Underground sooner rather than later, due to Constance. I only heard of the poisoning while I was trying to send the latest report."

"And they won't come looking for you?" Claude asked, frowning.

Ferdinand tilted his head. "Only if they discover that the body I burned isn't really mine. But, I doubt it. I wasn't working for Constance, she dismissed me some weeks ago. Mentioned that it might be safer if I left, if I had a place to go."

"So, you were compromised."

Ferdinand shrugged, moving to sit in a chair. "There have been more deaths lately, in the Underground. Key people being killed that work for Rhea. I used that confusion to escape before it was too late. You know, I would have thought that the others would be here."

"How did you get in?"

"The door was unlocked." Ferdinand glanced over his shoulder. "I thought the station would have more... security."

“It’s still early. I’m the only one here and I know I locked the door behind me.” Claude shrugged, taking a seat across from him. "Wait, what are we going to do about Felix? He's still down there, isn't he?"

"I don't know." Ferdinand shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. "After the attempted poisoning of Dima, Rhea has been keeping a closer eye on Felix. I think she wants to... replace Glenn."

"What?"

Ferdinand opened his mouth, shutting it. "Well, when the soul transfer took place with Glenn, it didn't really go right-"

"Replace... Glenn?" Claude whispered.

Ferdinand frowned. "If you keep interrupting me, I will never be able to finish telling you what I mean."

"No, wait, do that." Claude gestured with a hand, glancing back at the board. The Crest of Fraldarius was pinned up, next to a picture of Glenn.

Feridnand let out a sigh. "Rhea is resurrecting her siblings. She is using the old bloodlines to find descendents of them from before they went underground, if I understood Constance correctly. She has already managed seven of the soul transfers, but Fraldarius didn't go as planned."

Claude stared at him.

"She kept the hearts of those that died, preserved them in magic that Constance couldn't begin to understand, from what she insisted on saying several times. Dimitri Blaiddyd and Glenn Fraldarius were the efforts of nine hundred years and they didn't turn out right. She was only doing better near the end. When she was using adults, rather than children or teenagers. She had meant to use Lambert, I suppose, but Dimitri got in the way." Ferdinand shifted in his seat, closing his eyes. "There was so much more I wanted to put in my reports..."

He stood up from the table, meeting Claude's gaze. He opened his mouth to say something else but the door burst open, Edelgard stopping as she spotted Ferdinand. Hubert was right on her heels, nearly plowing into her.

There was a commotion, Claude setting his head on the table to rub it as the pair fretted over Ferdinand, the man accepting it with ease. He glanced noce more at Claude, reaching out and touching his shoulder.

"Felix is a smart man. He'll be able to save himself before Rhea attempts another Rebirth."

Claude glanced up at him, rubbing at his jaw. Edelgard and Hubert pulled Ferdinand from the room, Edelgard sending Claude a glance.

"We'll catch you up once we know everything." Edelgard promised over her shoulder, letting Hubert lead Ferdinand away.

Claude nodded, watching them leave with a sigh.


	25. A Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so!
> 
> I had hoped that, by this point, I was going to be further along with the two endings. However, Depression made me its bitch, chewed me up, and now we're here. So!
> 
> I have one ending that is almost finished, because it was the original ending to this, just a bit more to be finished. Which means, I may be going on a short hiatus while I get the second ending up to snuff, because I would like to drop them consecutively, chapter by chapter. But that means the second ending is only going to be about four chapters, as that's how long the first ending is shaping up to be.
> 
> The two endings will be posted as separate stories, so as not to get it completely confused.
> 
> So, I'm getting out of my bad depression months(yay seasonal depression in summer, I do not recommend it. It's coupled with some very personal loses the past couple of years that all happened around the same damn time in August, which makes it worse) and I hope to see you by the beginning of September! Which looks to be the sixth for the final chapter here.
> 
> The two endings(this is a choose your own adventure after all, but, you can also read both endings. I have my personal favorite, but they're both going to be fantastic) will also be posted a chapter a week! So, this should be done by October, hopefully!

“Good afternoon, Felix. Do you have a moment?”

Felix paused when he heard Rhea’s voice, turning to face the woman. He shoved stray pieces of hair behind his ear, meeting her gaze. He was walking around Garreg Mach, the thought of being in his room or with anyone else making him antsy. He could still smell the singed smell of cooked flesh. “What is it?”

Rhea smiled at him, her eyes guarded. “I merely wanted to speak with you a moment, regarding your brother.”

Felix tilted his head at that. “He’s dead.”

“You have learned the preachings of the goddess, since you have been here, have you not?”

Felix shifted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked away. “I’ve been to a handful of sermons. Can’t say that I really… understand what you say during them.”

“The goddess has always spoken about the Rite of Rebirth, where she would return to us one day.” Rhea shifted her hands, folding them over her stomach with a smile. “Your brother has been gifted with such a Rite, reborn of the earth. Those that are special and who hold meaning to the goddess are often offered the rite. She is always watching us and she knows when there is someone worthy of her gift.”

Felix glanced at her hands before glancing back up at her. “And what does this have to do with me?”

“I did hear of your friend that set himself on fire. There is so much unrest in the Underground. I wish for this place to be peaceful, a safe haven for those that only wish to worship the goddess and to be remade in her beauty.” Rhea moved one hand, reaching out to touch Felix’s shoulder.

Felix shifted, taking a step back before Rhea could touch him. “Is that what you’re calling this?” It had only been a day since they had found the body. And from what Yuri had expressed, more and more were starting to turn up.

“It is a haven, a safe place for those that cannot stand the light of day, even as we see the sky.” She glanced upwards, Felix following her gaze to the screens that reflected the daylight. It was nearing evening now, the sunset painting the sky above them. “I only wish what is best for my people, Felix. I am not thrilled by the unrest that has taken our halls.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Felix asked, taking another small step back.

Rhea smiled at him. “Wouldn’t you prefer to stay with your friends? You and Sylvain have grown quite close, since you have joined us.”

“We were friends before he disappeared, too.”

Rhea nodded. “I would hate for you to leave them behind, after finding them again so soon.”

“I’m not being kicked out, am I?” Felix demanded.

Rhea shook her head, taking something from a pocket in her robes. She held it out to Felix, Felix staring at the crystal before looking up at her.

On the silver crystal, the crest of Fraldarius was etched, the relief of the cut casting its own sort of shadow.

“Consider that you could have a place here, with us, forever.” Rhea held the orb out to him, Felix taking it hesitantly.

“Why?”

Rhea smiled at him. “I wish for my family to be happy. If you were to leave, do you think they would be happy?”

Felix opened his mouth, shutting it and looking at the crystal ball. He looked back up, only to find that Rhea had started to walk away, her back to him. He closed his hand around the crystal, shoving it in his pocket.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hello.”

Felix glanced at the man that slid next to him. Felix had been leaning on the half wall at the front of the Sanctuary. His eyes were blank, his hands balled into fists.

“What do you want?”

Yuri laughed as he tipped his head, smiling at Felix. “You’re waiting for Sylvain, aren’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?” Felix straightened, turning to face the general. The conversation with Rhea rested heavy on his mind, his hand straying to his pocket.

Yuri gave him a shrug. “I saw Rhea, a few moments ago. She said she spoke with you.”

Felix shrugged. “I didn’t realize I was such an interesting topic of conversation.”

“Rhea has her plans. I have mine. You are a variable we didn’t expect, but I do appreciate the concern.” Yuri paused, studying him. “Of course, you do make for an interesting conversation piece, you know.”

“You want to go for the hearts.”

Yuri frowned at him.

Felix shrugged. “It’s what they told me. Destroy the hearts and it’ll release them. I have a feeling that their bodies can take an absurd amount of damage and be fine?”

“Why are you telling me this now?” Yuri asked. “And who told you?”

“I..” Felix hesitated, glancing away from Yuri. “Flayn did, after Linhardt showed me the holy tomb. This place has taken enough from all of you, hasn’t it? Isn’t it time to just let it go?”

“And if we can’t leave?” Yuri mused, studying Felix.

Felix scoffed. “Is it a choice or a requirement to stay down here when you’re a general?”

“I was born and raised here, Felix. There is nowhere else for me to. But have you tried talking with Sylvain?”

Felix eyed him, glancing away and he heard Yuri sigh.

“You really should talk to him. He’ll be back here soon.”

Felix tilted his head towards Yuri, letting his gaze wander back to the sanctuary. He was leaning with his back against the half wall now, staring at the doors. Waiting.

“He’s back in the Sanctuary for a while at least. I saw him this morning. You may be able to catch him before he leaves again.”

Felix turned, stalking away from Yuri at those words.

~*~*~*~*~

“Mother told us that she spoke with you.”

Felix glanced down at Dima, frowning at him. “About what?”

Dima shuffled from where he was standing next to Felix, who was staring at one of the portal rooms. He had seen Sylvain disappear into one the moment he had tried to catch up, calling out the man’s name.

“She invited you to join us, but you didn’t give her an answer.”

Felix shook himself, turning to watch Dima. “Yes, I… suppose she did, but she wasn’t clear about how I would be joining you.”

“You’d replace Glenn, the same way Sylvain replaced Miklan.”

Felix frowned at him. He shifted, turning to look back at the inner wall. “Replace as a general?” Felix tried, uncertain as to what Dima could mean.

Dima looked away. “No, for the ceremony. Mother was looking for a host for the Riegan stone, but her contact hasn’t gotten back to her. She thought she had a good host for Daphnel, but Ingrid ran.”

Felix swallowed, his blood running cold as Dima looked up at him. “Course, that was before she really perfected the art.”

Dima smiled, hands folded behind his back. “Why are you waiting for Sylvain?”

“I wanted to talk to him.” Felix shifted a few inches away from Dima, watching as the child stepped in to fill the space.

“What if he wanted nothing to do with you?” Dima asked.

Felix bit back his response, the memory of the kiss flashing through his mind. Even at a young age, Felix could see the type of person Sylvain was. Flirting, picking people up and dropping them without a thought.

“It’s just like him, you know,” Dima commented, “he doesn’t actually care.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Felix sneered the words at the child, Dima looking up and meeting his gaze.

He blinked, tilting his head. “Is that what you think?”

Felix opened his mouth, shutting it as Dima shrugged, stepping away from him.

“I’ve known this Sylvain much longer than you have. There’s little that he wouldn’t do, you know, if it meant getting out of his obligations. I wouldn’t trust him, if I were you,” Dima frowned, “but then, you like him. So, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Felix opened his mouth to protest, watching as Dima walked away with his shoulders hunched. He glanced back at the portal room, turning and heading to the training grounds. Maybe trying to talk to him was pointless.

~*~*~*~*~

"Felix?"

Felix looked up at Sylvain, crossing his arms across his chest. It had been two weeks since he had seen Sylvain, two weeks since they had found Ferdinand. The pressure of the kiss still lingered and Felix was tired.

Two weeks of trying to understand what Rhea wanted and what Yuri meant.

Even now, the scent of burning flesh clung to him but something had felt wrong about it. With the added weight of the crystal from Rhea, he wasn’t certain what he wanted to do.

He only knew that Sylvain was avoiding him for no reason. He was tired of it, tired of avoiding the elephant. Even Dima had noticed a downward spiral in both Felix and Sylvain’s moods.

"What am I to you?"

The words were explosive, Felix bristling as Sylvain turned to him, his eyes clouded. The man lifted a hand to his face, feeling how tender his jaw was from where Felix had punched him. He dropped his hand, swallowing as he looked at Felix.

"I... Felix, you can't stay down here. It’s not safe."

The excuse was flimsy, Sylvain knew that. And he could see the pain in Felix's gaze when he said the words.

"Damn it, Sylvain, why do you want to stay down here then?" Felix snapped, taking a step towards him. Felix had come to Sylvain, had picked the lock on his door -or did Sylvain leave it unlocked on purpose?- and demanded that Sylvain talk to him.

He had seen him, in just flashes and glimpse, but every time Sylvain saw him, he ran.

Sylvain, in all his infinite wisdom, had not really tried to chase Felix off. He shouldn’t have kissed him, shouldn’t have done a lot of things. But he had always cared for Felix, far more than he paid attention to. Now, he held up his hands, ensuring that Felix couldn't get too close to him.

Felix's anger dropped for a beat, replaced by sadness and Sylvain felt himself choke but he plowed on.

"You have no idea what's going on down here, Felix," Sylvain began, "it isn't safe. You have to leave, sooner rather than later. It's-"

"Why won't you come with me?" Felix demanded, the anger seeping out of his face and Sylvain felt like he was drowning. Had he allowed himself to get too close to Felix? He always wanted the best for Felix, when they were younger. Where had that gone?

Why had he kissed him?

The best for Felix definitely wasn't him, not by a long shot.

"I can't."

Felix let out a huff. "Right, right, you can't come with me because you'd rather run from all your fucking problems! It's just like when we were kids. You'd rather run from me than talk it out!"

"That's not-"

"Don't you dare say those words, Gautier."

Sylvain took a step back as Felix put his hand on the pommel of his sword. He had gotten better in the few months that he had been down there, thrust into the darkness that was the Underground, but he still didn't understand the purpose.

"You never told us when your brother fucking hurt you. You never talked to us when things were bad at your house. You put on an air that, even as a nine year old, I could tell was absolute shit!" Felix seethed, "so you decided to run to the Underground the first chance you got? You think you can run from any and all of your problems?"

Sylvain drew in a breath, closing his eyes. He held it for a heartbeat before he let it go, shaking his head. "No, Felix, this is just beyond-"

"Cut the fucking crap."

Sylvain took another step back, his hands still held out to Felix. He wanted nothing more than to step forward, to sweep Felix into his arms and kiss him. To hold him and tell him it would be okay. But, he had to force himself to still, to not approach.

"You can't talk your way out of this one, Gautier."

"I thought you wanted to talk though?" Sylvain asked, swallowing hard. Fuck, he had gotten too close to the man in the short time he had been down here. "Felix, take Yuri's offer and get the fuck out of the Underground. It isn’t safe for you."

Felix tightened his grip on the sword, clenching his jaw tight. "Are you telling me to run?" he demanded, the words forced through his teeth.

"Yes, I am."

"Just like you're running from all your problems?" Felix demanded.

Sylvain let out a huff, shaking his head. "I can't survive above ground, Felix."

"We can get you the help you need."

Sylvain closed his eyes. Seeing how earnest Felix was, the words he pleaded with, made him want to vomit, to expel whatever was left in his stomach. He hadn't been willing to eat lately. It had just been too much, on top of everything else.

"I can't."

Felix threw his hands up in the air. "So, you are running from your problems, then. You think that the Underground can protect you? They're... in the middle of a war, Sylvain, aren’t they?"

Sylvain let out a choking laugh. "Yeah, a war that Yuri and Rhea both won't win without devastating so many lives. You don't need to be here for that, Felix."

Felix swallowed. "I won't leave you."

"I won't go."

"Why?"

Sylvain flinched back at that simple question, his gaze flashing around his room. The Lance of Ruin was propped up in a corner, twitching away and Sylvain turned, heading towards it. Felix watched him, eyes narrowed, hand falling back to his sword as Sylvain gestured at the lance.

"Do you know what this is?"

Felix shook his head. He had seen it, once or twice, but Sylvain had dismissed his questions, led Felix away to do other things, to make Felix forget where he was, even for a night.

"I messed up."

Felix narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah, you really fucking did."

"I shouldn't have let you get as close to me as you did. I..." Sylvain let out a huff, drawing a hand over his face. "Fuck, I love you, Felix."

Felix stared at him, eyes wide at the admission and Sylvain wanted to kick himself for speaking the words.

"Then come back with me."

Sylvain picked up the lance, watching the magic run down the wooden pole before the head started to almost move, the two small side pieces twitching with each pulse. "I can't, Felix."

"Because of some damn lance that Rhea gave you?" Felix demanded, his gaze hard. "Do you care at all for me? Do you know what that thing is made of?"

Sylvain huffed, holding the lance out. "These things aren't supposed to work without their crest stones. Rhea explained it, once. Want to know how I came by this one?"

"If I let you tell me, will you leave with me?" Felix demanded.

Sylvain ran his free hand through his hair, closing his eyes. "Okay, just, bare with me. I don't know how to put this story into an order that would make sense. Back during the Garland Moon, er... June. Rhea had a ceremony that she wanted to do. You know about how she revived the spirits of her dead siblings, right? She called it the Rite of Rebirth or whatever."

Felix grimaced, but he nodded.

"The Lance of Ruin is made from the bones of the Nabatean Gautier. In a way, he was... our ancestor. Mine and Miklan's, that is. Rhea was going to use Miklan for the process of reviving the spirit, but his body... it wouldn't... he turned into a monster. I took the lance from him and killed him but, instead... the spirit… she used me, instead."

Felix's face morphed into terror, understanding prickling at his eyes. They had seen the monster that Dima became, the spirit that puppetted Annette's body around, as if Annette had never been alive. Sylvain took a step towards Felix, throwing the lance on the ground and grabbing Felix's hand.

He pressed it to his chest, his eyes full of sadness. "I don't know why Rhea was dumping bodies of people with the crest magic above ground. She could have dealt with them here. It caused too many problems."

Felix's hand curled into the fabric of Sylvain's shirt, his body shaking. Under his fingers, he couldn't-

"No heartbeat."

Felix ripped himself away from Sylvain, looking up at him. "You're..."

"Not... quite dead? But top side doesn't have the magic that the Underground does. Besides, I'm pretty sure we're all going to die when Yuri kills Rhea. I can't go with you, Felix."

"Then..." Felix swallowed and Sylvain felt a twinge in his chest as he realized that Felix was crying. "Then why the hell did you-"

"I messed up. I always liked you. And, seeing you now, I realized I loved you. However, I have always been a monster and I've done nothing but-"

"Shut up!" Felix snapped, balling his hand into a fist, tugging at Sylvain's shirt. "Shut up, we can figure out a way to fix this. We can- we can make it right."

Sylvain shifted, pulling Felix into a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around the other man, shaking his head. "I can't... Felix, I cannot go with you. Even if I went with you, I couldn't stand in daylight. The moment Rhea dies, I'll die. I don't... I don't want to hurt you, either. I was reforged in the shadows of the Underground, after all."

"You-" Felix chokes back on the growing urge to cry. He whips his head up, staring Sylvain in the eye. "You don't want to... hurt me. You fucking bastard, why did you-"

Sylvain tightened his grip, staring over Felix's head. "I am an idiot when it comes to you, always have been. Felix... you need to leave, before you get stuck down here."

"Is this what you want?" Felix whispered, still struggling to get away from Sylvain even if he didn't want to. "Do you want to live down here?"

"No. I should have never followed Miklan down, but... I thought I could help him. I thought maybe I could save my brother in a way I could have never-" Sylvain choked, shaking his head, "in a way I could never help you. I was wrong and I threw away so much more than I could ever realize. Felix, you need to leave."

"Why are you so much... like you?" Felix asked after a moment, finding the words he wanted. "The others..."

Sylvain shook his head. "The transfer never really took. It saved my life, gave me... the magic needed to use the lance, but other than that, the Gautier spirit is still dormant. Felix, please, don't throw your life away down here. Don’t let Rhea get her claws in you. She gave you something, didn’t she?"

Felix stared at him, eyes clouded. "Fine, whatever. You... you can stay rotting down here. I don't care anymore. And why would it matter if she gave me anything? You don’t actually care."

Sylvain closed his eyes, letting out a huff. "I made so many damn mistakes and I was so wrong, in so many ways. And I know Rhea wants to retry the Rite of Rebirth with Glenn. She’s been biding her time, judging you and seeing if you’re worthy. Please, just, save yourself, Felix."

Felix gave a sharp nod, pushing himself away. He was already to the door when he stopped, turning to look at Sylvain once more. "I shouldn't have expected anything different, really." Felix slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing around the room.

Sylvain let him go, staring at the door. "I love you, Felix."

~*~*~*~*~

Felix scampered from Sylvain's room, pressing a shaking hand to his mouth as he leaned against the wall, the back of his head hitting it with a thud.

He took a moment, drawing in a breath and he shifted, turning as he heard footsteps approach him. Glenn held up a hand, tilting his head and frowned before he beckoned Felix to follow him.

Felix swallowed back the rising bile in his throat, following the ghost of his brother. He still looked like he did when they were younger, his hair no longer badly cut from where he had done it himself, after the Blaiddyds had died, Glenn and Rodrigue had gotten into a fight.

Felix had never been brave enough to ask what it was and he still wasn't, not as he followed the dead teenager.

Glenn stopped outside a door carved with the Fraldarius crest, holding up one single finger before he ducked inside. When he returned, he carried an awkward bundle of blankets and he nodded, walking the path to Felix's room.

Felix frowned but he followed, fingers curling in on themselves. Glenn stopped at Felix's bedroom, Felix opening the door and letting him in. He watched as Glenn walked to the table, setting the bundle down.

Felix shut the door and walked over, watching his brother as he fished out a piece of paper, placing it on the table. He picked up one of Felix's stray pens, scribbling down on the note.

_Please, whatever happens, don’t take the shield_

Felix looked up at him, squinting. "Why?" he demanded, "I can't even use-"

Glenn gave him a stare, adjusting his grip on the pen before he wrote again. _Danger is coming. If you insist on staying down here, you can at least protect yourself, I won’t argue. But, you need to leave. She will try to put this on you._

"Glenn..."

The teenager shook his head. _We're trapped down here, but you aren't. You can escape. Leave this place and forget us, Felix._

He looked at the words, glancing back up at Glenn. "I don’t know..." Felix hesitated, looking up and meeting Glenn’s gaze.

_If you insist on staying down here, then take the shield._

Glenn narrowed his eyes, placing the pen on the table. He jabbed a finger at Felix before he pointed at the shield, crossing his arms over his chest by the end of it.

"God, you need it more than me!" Felix snapped, grinding his teeth together. Glenn hesitated, shifting and holding his cloak to the side to reveal a sword. He looked back up at Felix, gaze pleading and Felix sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Glenn picked the pen back up, looking at the paper and letting out a sigh. He scribbled more words down, Felix glancing at the writing.

_Don't make the same mistakes Sylvain did. Nothing down here is worth it. Leave us behind._

Felix swallowed at those words, glancing at his brother. Glenn rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the shield. He pointed at it once more and Felix sighed.

"Fine, I'll think about it. About leaving, or taking the shield, okay?” Felix asked.

Glenn broke into a smile, stepping towards Felix. He held his hands out and Felix met the embrace, his own arms wrapping around Glenn's shoulder.

"I always thought you were alive," Felix whispered, "I just... wished it wasn't like this."

Glenn nodded, the movement making Felix realize that he was taller than his older brother and he stepped back, Glenn letting his arms fall to his side.

"Thank you."

Glenn smiled at him, turning and leaving the room. Felix looked at the blankets, unwrapping it to touch the shield that now rested on his table, weighing the choices before him.


	26. A Means To An End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of 8/16, the main revisions of this thing is completed.
> 
> From here, you get two ending choices:
> 
> Ascension  
> Descension
> 
> My hopes is to be able to post those two endings all at once, but we'll see where I'm at with writing the second ending(Descension, all new content, cause I can't leave an idea alone) when it comes time to post it.

Edelgard threw open the door of their shared office, Claude looking up at her in confusion. She was disheveled, her jacket hanging open rather than buttoned up. She threw a file onto the desk, narrowing her eyes.

"Uh, what's this?" Claude asked.

"Something happened and there has been a massive uprise in deaths related to the Fringe of the Underground."

"When did this start?" Claude asked.

Edelgard narrowed her eyes further. "Just this morning. People are reporting deaths all over the city. People, walking upright one moment and dead the next."

"Do you think... something happened Underground?" Claude whispered.

Edelgard grimaced. "With Ferdinand reappearing a couple of weeks ago, I can’t say I’m surprised. He... didn't say much, just gave me a report he had written up, but he wasn't feeling well this morning. Hubert is staying home to keep an eye on him, to ensure that whatever is affecting those on the Fringe won't also hurt him. He was down there for so much longer..."

"Any word about Felix?" Claude asked, shifting his gaze away.

He caught the shake of Edelgard's head from the corner of his eye. "He said he hadn't seen Felix in weeks. But I also haven't had a chance to read his full report. While he mentioned it wasn’t uncommon for him to not see Felix, he still believes the man is alive. There would be no sense in them saving him from poison just to kill him later.”

Claude closed his eyes, letting out a breath. "Well, there's still a chance that he makes it out. We don't know what's happening, not exactly."

"We're getting all the reported cases of any Fringe members dying. It seems like they were marked with something, but I'm not sure..." Edelgard took in a breath, sitting down in a seat.

Claude shifted, getting up from his own. "Do you want coffee?"

"I would love a cup," Edelgard muttered. 

Claude nodded at her, heading out of the office. He returned five minutes later with freshly brewed coffee, silently thanking Catherine that she had installed a new coffee maker just last week. He set Edelgard's cup down, sitting across from her.

"And Ferdinand hadn't managed much else? Will Hubert take him to the doctor's?"

Edelgard nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. She nodded at a binder under the folder Edelgard had thrown on the table. "His full report is in there. Would you like to-"

Claude already grabbed the folder, opening and staring at the packet of information that was presented to him. "That's... a lot."

Edelgard nodded. "He's been working on it for a while. He was supposed to send us an update two weeks ago, but... he hadn't been able to do much more than send us an 'I'm okay' message."

Claude flipped through the pages, closing his eyes. "I'm having flashbacks to Linhardt's notes. My head already hurts just trying to look at this." The boxes were at least somewhat neater, stacked behind them now.

“Have you heard from Professor Hanneman?”

Claude paused, looking up at Edelgard. He shook his head after a brief minute. “No. He has some interest in Linhardt’s notes, but he hasn’t been bothering me about them.”

“I’ll call him later today. If…” Edelgard hesitated.

“Do you think he was working for the Underground?”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’ll call the school and see if he has come to class the past couple of days.” She looked down at the notes, watching the papers be shuffled about.

Edeglard slid it back towards herself when Claude let the paper fall still. She flipped to one report, grimacing as she caught the word 'crest'. She stopped, tapping her finger against the writing. "'Lady Rhea has been resurrecting spirits. It's unclear as to what she intended, but there is unrest. Even those that she trusts have been more and more suspicious. Constance has dismissed me from her service, citing that she has what she needs.' Dismissed..." Edelgard let out a hum, flipping to a few pages earlier. "'Spoke with Felix, the Sanctuary has been tense as of late, but no reason why. It seems as if Yuri is planning-'. Well, Yuri planning something, hmm?"

She shut the binder, closing her eyes.

"Can I read through this?" Claude asked, gesturing at it.

Edelgard nodded. "I would have... done it already, but, I don't know if I _want_ to know what's in there."

Claude nodded, sitting in his chair. "If there's anything that sticks out, I'll let you know." He took a sip of his coffee, settling in his chair to begin reading.

~*~*~*~*~

"Lysithea!"

The woman let out a huff as she heard her name, turning to see Sylvain stride towards her. She shut the book in her lap, putting it on the table in front of her. "What do you want, Gautier?"

She bristed as he held up his hands, clearing his throat. "Uh, I actually had a question for you. You and Felix get along, right?"

Lysithea opened her mouth, frowning and narrowing her eyes. "That guy can't even have the decency to like sweets. I had to make him a spice cake the other night just for him to agree to eat it. I tried a bite, it wasn’t that great."

Sylvain raised an eyebrow. "You got Felix to try a ca-" he cut himself off, shaking his head, "right, I remember that. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Though color me impressed that you got him to eat it."

"Right, what did you want?" Lysithea asked, gesturing towards her book. "I have important things that I need to be doing. I can't be stuck talking to you all night."

Sylvain nodded. "You know what Yuri is planning, right?"

Lysithea shifted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, he's told me a bit about it, why?"

Sylvain drew in a breath, closing his eyes. "If fighting breaks out, could you take Felix to the surface?"

"Why would I do that?" Lysithea demanded, narrowing her eyes. "Yuri told me about his plans, because he wants me to be a part of them. Isn't Felix staying down here?"

Sylvain shook his head, taking in a breath. "No, no! Felix _cannot_ stay down here, Lysithea. He's going to get himself killed in the crossfire, trying to do something stupid. Look, you know about us. You know that we're going to die the moment Rhea's dead. I..."

He took a breath, steading himself. He placed a hand over his heart, sighing.

"I love Felix, Lysithea. I don't want him to see me die. He's lost so much, he's seen so much horror in his life, I don't want to add more to that trauma. Please, I will do anything you want me to, just please make sure Felix gets out of here before the fighting truly starts."

Lysithea sat back, letting out a sigh. "Fine, I'll do it, since it's you, Sylvain." She looked away, Sylvain's face breaking into a smile.

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Lysithea. I'll do anything to make it up to you."

Lysithea nodded, looking at him. "Fine, fine. Whatever. You get weird when you get emotional about people. So, stop, please."

He laughed, shaking his head and smiling at her. "Still, I appreciate it, Lysithea. You have saved me from so much worry."

"You're still going to worry, but I guess I can help you worry about one less thing. I don’t get your attachment to one person, but whatever... Now, will you leave me alone? I'm trying to study!" She gestured towards her book, eyes narrowed.

Sylvain nodded, turning and walking out of the library. He caught Yuri's gaze and he stepped towards him. The man looked up, tilting his head before he nodded at Sylvain.

Sylvain turned and headed the other way, shoving his hands in his pockets as he whistled. He found the room after a moment, slipping inside and leaning against the wall. Only a handful of minutes later, Yuri stepped into the room from another door, shaking himself off.

"Fancy seeing you down in the third circle."

Sylvain smiled at Yuri. "I had to talk to Lysithea about something I wanted to ask her."

"Well, I hope it's nothing too drastic." They exchanged a glance, Sylvain straightening as he caught Yuri’s gaze drift away from him. He gave Lysithea a once over, gaze returning to Sylvain.

"Do you think she's fit to fight?" Sylvain asked, Yuri hesitating.

He shook his head after a moment, looking away. "No, you're right about that."

"I asked her to take Felix to the surface."

"But then..." Yuri trailed off, meeting Sylvain's eyes. "It would get her out of here without her feeling like we betrayed her."

Sylvain shrugged. "I figured she'd be upset but she'd have no way to warp back down here, not after we..."

"Yes, yes, that's the better idea as it is. Thank you, for looking out for her." Yuri tilted his head, studying Sylvain for a moment longer.

"I don't plan on running, if that's what you're thinking."

Yuri shrugged. "I just figured you might have a protest or two about tonight."

Sylvain shook his head. "The best laid plans are often the simplest. You aren't getting very far fighting Rhea if you also have to contend with the Blaiddyd spirit. We take him out next."

Yuri nodded, letting out a sigh. "We will have help. Tonight, you have to be prepared." Yuri held a small dagger out to Sylvain, the man curling his hand around the hilt and tucking it under his coat.

"I know."

He paused when he felt the tug at his heart, his eyes darting from Yuri to the room behind him. He stepped forward, placing his hand on Yuri’s shoulder.

“You be prepared yourself, Rhea is planning something.”

Yuri gave him a look, raising an eyebrow but he nodded, drawing in a breath. “Let me know what you find out.”

Sylvain laughed. “She hasn’t told me anything of consequence since I got drunk after Miklan died. I’m too much of a loose cannon, you know?”

Yuri rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Gautier. Do you think-”

“Never.” Sylvain smiled at him, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Tonight, Yuri. No matter what happens, got it?”

Yuri rolled his eyes, “whatever, Guatier. Did you hear-” His voice dipped on the question, eyes narrowed.

Sylvain froze when Yuri started talking, turning to him. “The deaths? Yeah, I heard. The fringe are freaking out and the Golden Circle is being overrun.”

“Down here won’t save them.”

Sylvain’s jaw tightened. “We can’t save them, no. But we can stop her from doing this ever again. Tonight, Yuri.”

“Understood.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Felix.”

Rhea’s voice filtered to him and he looked up, watching her glide into the hall. “Good evening, Lady Rhea. What can I do for you?”

His fingers twitched towards his sword hilt as the woman smiled at him, gesturing towards the door she entered. “I know that you have been spending more time with the family, but there is something I wish to show you.”

Felix got up from his chair, following her out of the hall. The sanctuary was quiet, the screens above them dimmer than usual but showing clouds heavy with rain.

They walked along the silent path until they were at the entrance to the cathedral, Rhea tucking her hands in front of her. “Do you understand what I am doing down here, Felix?”

Felix shifted his weight, shaking his head after a brief hesitation. “No.”

Rhea nodded, watching him. “I care deeply for my family, Felix. Regardless of what it might have been like in the past, I want them here, with me. I care for them. I would do anything to bring them back.”

She stopped at a table, gathering several things and handing a piece of food to Felix. She took her own, eating it. “This,” she murmurs once she finished, “is the gift of life that has been given to us from flesh.”

Felix found himself eating the meat. The crystal in his pocket burned, his gaze tracking as Rhea moved her hands.

“This,” she murmured as she picked up a goblet of dark liquid, “is the life blood. While we do not get rain here, we do still have access to water. There have been many things that we have managed throughout the years. This is only another step.”

Rhea took a drink of the goblet, pressing it into Felix’s hands. He accepted it, drinking the rest of the wine and setting it back on the table. Rhea smiled, reaching out and taking his hand.

“Have you enjoyed seeing your brother again, Felix?”

Felix drew in a breath, meeting the woman’s eyes. “That thing may wear my brother’s face, but it will never be him.”

Rhea sighed, closing her eyes. She opened them, her gaze still pleasant. “I understand that he gave you his shield. What a befitting gift to pass along.”

“I… do have his shield, in my room. I don’t know why he gave it to me.” He hadn’t been able to bring himself to touch it, Linhardt’s words repeating in his mind. The weapons made of bone from the fallen siblings.

He shuddered.

“Do you still carry the crystal with you?”

Felix blinked at the question, staring up at her. With halting options, he pulled it out of his pocket, offering it to her.

Rhea smiled, accepting the crystal and tucking it away in her own pockets. “All will be made clear in time. Come.” She gestured for him to follow and he did so, following her onto the cathedral’s floor. He swept his gaze around the room, recalling the one other time he had been there for a meeting.

Now, the setup was different, the pews put back in storage. It was an empty, vast cavern, waiting to swallow anyone else up.

Felix bulked as he saw the other spirits, Flayn looking particularly upset. Seteth stood at the head of the large engraving on the floor, stepping to the side as Rhea and he made their way over.

“I’m so glad that you have gathered here.” Rhea’s gaze flashed across the gathered spirits, Felix stopping when he saw Sylvain standing to one side, gaze locked on the wall across from him. Dominic shifted, hand wrapped around the shaft of her hammer, while Byleth and Dima stood at the opposite end of the engraving on the floor.

“Where’s Glenn?”

Felix’s words felt heavy, his motions slowed as Rhea just smiled at him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She guided him through the circle, pushing him to his knees in the center of the engraving. Felix stumbled, reaching out but his hand slid off her arm.

“It’s so wonderful that you came to us on your own, Felix.” Rhea’s voice was gentle as her hands moved, unbuttoning Felix’s shirt. He drew in a breath as she pushed his shirt off, hair falling in her face.

“What-”

“My sister, Fraldarius, was killed with poison. It’s so strange. If you don’t kill someone in the right manner, it just doesn’t work.”

Felix struggled to breath, closing his eyes as something pressed against his chest. The sharp tip pressed down, dragging against the skin and he tried to jerk away.

“From life to death, to life again.” Rhea breathed out, her words gentle against his ear. Felix felt the tip of the blade dig deeper and he trembled.

Chanting picked up around them, Rhea shifting on her knees as she pressed Felix down, bending him backwards. The knife slipped upwards, dragging a deeper groove and the crest of Fraldarius flashed before his mind, the thick lines floating before the pain lanced through him.

Rhea sighed, moving her grip on Felix’s shoulder, steadying him against the ground. “Your brother fell and I still used him. He had tried to run, that’s when I learned I had to pace myself.”

Felix struggled to drag in a breath, the poisoning making him tremble. He heard a distant cry, his own voice unrecognizable to his ears.

The pain was his only grasp on reality, the knife working itself deeper and deeper, each second dragging into forever as he drew in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You come to a choice, dear readers, which shall it be?
> 
> [Ascension](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26160907)
> 
> [Descension](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26161441)
> 
> (Please note, both is _also_ an option, I just want to be slightly dramatic for one moment.)


End file.
